Hannah was adopted from South Korea at the age of 2. She was born with limb malformations of her hands and feet. Soon after joining her family, it was determined that Hannah’s feet needed to be amputated. Hannah received her first prosthetics at the age of three. Hannah’s family includes 7 siblings who are involved in a wide range of athletics including marathon running, soccer, and track. Hannah has always desired to participate and keep up with her older brothers and sisters. As Hannah has grown, it has been harder and harder for her to keep up and participate with children her own age. One of her biggest desires was to be able to keep up with her friends on the playground. Standard prosthetics rubbed and bruised her skin. She preferred to not wear her prosthetics as they hurt and were not comfortable. At a NubAbility Sports Camp, we were told about Amputee Blade Runners and encouraged to apply.
From the time we first became involved with Amputee Blade Runners, we have learned so much about how to advocate for Hannah, and how prosthetics are designed and made. It wasn’t until the Amputee Blade Runner experience that we realized just how uneducated about prosthetics we were. We were welcomed into a close knit group of families who have gone through this experience and are there to support, advise, and cheer our family on. Hannah’s new legs made an immediate impact on her life. When we arrived at Amputee Blade Runners, she was not wearing her prosthetics at all. Within minutes of putting on her blades, she was running around with a natural gait, bouncing and jumping, and smiling bigger than ever. Since arriving home with her legs, she has been running every day with her older sister, has become a champion of kickball with her friends, and has a self confidence and pride in her prosthetics that radiates from her.