April has been, among other things, “limb loss awareness” month. As a kid I was keenly aware of my limb loss but didn’t have a mentor whom I saw going through the same experience. My childhood days were spent trying to figure out how I fit into the world and working hard as I could to find my place on the playground, on the bike trails or on the ball field.
There was also Ty Bullard’s back yard. This vast oasis of freshly cut grass was the home field for football games for the boys of the Ellis Point neighborhood. Ty and his friends were older than I was and often I wasn’t picked to play, but one Sunday afternoon there was a shortage of kids and I was picked…last, but still picked to play! I was over my head because these boys were older but I held my own. I remember one kid asking how I was going to catch a pass; “Just throw it to me and I’ll show you” was my response. I did catch a pass and dodged would-be tacklers all the way to the end zone. I wasn’t the best player in Ty’s backyard but I proved I belonged in the game. I was the one-handed kid who could play. I often thought that I was the only one-handed kid going through this experience. I never saw anyone who looked like me, until one day during our morning stop at the local donut shop, my Dad shared with me a newspaper clipping of a one-handed baseball player who was pitching for the University of Michigan.
Jim Abbott’s left arm was a rocket ship; my left arm was a propeller airplane. But it was amazing to see someone just like me finding success in the world. Also, I had taught myself to play baseball just like Jim Abbott played, so I figured I was on the right path. I knew I could find a way to be successful, even if it wouldn’t be on the baseball diamond.
In the last few years as the Internet has made the world smaller, I have met some amazing organizations and individuals in the limb difference community. Athletes, musicians, writers, even a beauty queen! I also found out about Camp No Limits. It is a summer camp for kids with limb difference, their parents and their siblings. I watched the video of the camp and became determined to give back. I watched these young kids, a lot of whom look like me, running, swimming, riding bikes with other kids who are going through similar experiences. There were also adult mentors who gave the kids (and their families) proof that they are going to be just fine.
This summer will be the third summer I have been involved with the camp. It is an amazing opportunity to give back. All of us face difficulties in our lives and sometimes go through experiences that are extremely difficult. I speak a lot on finding the flip side of limitation. To me, one of the flip sides of the way I was born is the opportunity to help enlighten and educate others that limb difference does not have to be a limitation. It is just one of our many differences. Are you finding a way to give back? Are you able to connect with others who may have succeeded through similar circumstances? How can you be a mentor?
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