Our Megan is 3 years old as of Christmas Time 2004. She is doing terrific. I find I gain more confidence in her ability to be “o.k.” as she reaches each new milestone that other children reach. When she learned to crawl and walk, talk and laugh.    When she swims or learns to ride her bike. When she swings, hangs from the monkey bars or climbs the apple tree in front. Yes, even when she runs and fights with her big brother.

We face new challenges together as any parent and child do. But, we both learn how to put on a band-aid or dress the dolly or tie a shoe with one hand. All things I took for granted before.

Megan’s story started at the 20 Week Ultra Sound when they told us everything we can see looks normal but we want you to see a specialist. Two days later the specialist told us that she was to be born missing her left hand and most of her forearm. When I stopped throwing up, I started to dry my eyes and look for support. To find out what the future held for all of us. We leaned on our parents and our family for support. I found this support group. I met with physical therapists and a prosthetist all before she was born.

We learned that if we treat her like every other child and don’t tell her she can’t do something because of her limb difference she is no different. We don’t help her do it unless she asks for help or if we see frustration. She is her own advocate and she tells people her story “I was born that way” or her favorite that she likes to tell people “it was a shark bite.” She asks the hard questions like "how come I don’t have 2 hands" or "will I get one?" Sometimes people or situations make me sad again but I am done grieving for the “Perfect Child” I did not get and am enjoying the Perfect Child I did get. We face each day with hope, God’s Grace, friends and family and other parents who understand all the feelings because they have them too.

We can’t give any advice on how to handle all this because everyday we learn something new. We just know if you are reading this now because of a child with a limb difference, that you are not alone.