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Accessibility StatementRead more
A child with long curly hair, wearing a plaid dress over a black shirt, a red necklace, and a red bow in their hair, standing outdoors on a paved path. The face of the child is blurred for privacy.

    Zoey

    Age: 7

    We discovered during our 20-week ultrasound that Zoey would be born with a limb difference. She has a congenital amputation of her right hand and forearm, most likely caused by a blood clot that happened while inside the womb. From that day, our lives changed forever. We had never known anyone with a limb difference, and our minds were flooded with worries and anxiety. That's where our journey with Rady Children's Hospital began. Before she was even born, we were in touch with a doctor specializing in limb differences and working here in San Diego.  

     

    Our first visit with Dr. Phoebe Scott-Wyard was approximately 8 weeks after Zoey was born. That first visit was very emotional, and Dr. Phoebe was so caring and attentive to us and all of our questions. She has been a solid rock for us from the beginning, and I can't fully explain our gratitude for Rady Children's and the resources it has provided for our family. Through our visits with Dr. Phoebe, we were relieved to learn that we're not alone - and in fact, there is an entire community of kids with limb differences here in San Diego. This community has become like a second family to us - we go to each other's birthday parties and do in-person meetups and play dates every few weeks. Dr. Phoebe also introduced Zoey to Camp No Limits, which takes place in Big Bear each year and brings together kids from across the country with educational resources, demos, OT, and shows them that they can do anything. Zoey went ziplining for the first time at Camp and still talks about it! 

     

    Rady Children's has also given us incredible advice when it comes to options like prosthetics, exercises, and therapies to do at home to ensure her muscles stay strong, while letting our family make the decisions that are right for us. Dr. Phoebe has gone out of her way to send recommendations on inclusive books, shows, and movies that we can share with Zoey and our friends and family to help educate them about limb differences. We regularly visit Dr. Phoebe several times a year to ensure her arm is growing proportionately and check-in on everything, as well as learn about new opportunities in the limb difference community.  

     

    Now, Zoey is 7 years old and thriving. She is VERY active, playing soccer, gymnastics, swimming and her new favorite hobby: surfing! She loves to tell other kids about her 'power arm' and show them how strong she is and that she can do anything in this world with one hand.