Jessica

As I grew older and started to put weight on my little foot, it would just move to the side and I would end up putting weight on my ankle.  They tried to fit me with a prosthetic leg that went over this little foot (since the foot could not support my weight), but I was never able to walk with it.  Over the next few months, my parents then took me to several doctors to get 2^nd and 3^rd opinions on what they should do for me, and over time realized that this little foot would never work for me.  They heard every doctor recommend this surgery, so my parents made the decision for me to have a syme’s amputation when I was 12 months old.  Even though this was a very hard decision for my parents, they knew as soon as the bandages came off that they had made the right decision. I received my second leg when I was 15 months old and started taking steps within hours of receiving it!!

Now as I get older, one of the most exciting times of the year is when I get to pick out fabric for a new leg. As you can see from a few of my pictures, I have had quite a wide variety of leg designs…everything from a ballerina leg to a fireman leg. J  I currently go to the Shriners in Minneapolis and they have done an amazing job fitting me with legs that allow me to do everything I love and enjoy.

I have participated in many activities over the years and my leg has never slowed me down! A few of the activities I have been involved with include dance, basketball, track, cross country, piano and drums.  Running is by far my favorite activity and I LOVE running 5K’s!  I just received a new running leg and am enjoying being able to run even farther with it! I love setting goals, and my current goals are to run on my school’s Cross Country team with my older sister, improve my 5K times and do a triathlon with my mom someday.  I hope you enjoy my pictures!