The Real Face of Special Needs Friday (sorry it is Saturday)

I missed the real face of special needs Friday.....so I am posting on Saturday (again)! Sidney has fibular hemimelia. This means she is missing the fibula bone in her left leg. Turns out this smaller bone on the back side of your leg (below the knee) isn't so important in functioning. Sidney jumps, runs, climbs, and most importantly walks like any toddler. If you look at Sidney you might notice she has a limb difference. This is quite normal with fibular hemimelia. Sidney has four toes on the shorter of the two legs. She wears a lift to compensate for length difference.

A common part of Sidney's condition is missing fingers. Sidney has three fingers on each hand, including a thumb on both sides. We had reconstructive surgery on each hand last year. One side had syndactyly (webbing) separated and the procedure corrected the shape of the growth plate in her hand. Both were complex procedures, according to her surgeon, as her anomolies are unique. I am happy to report, both procedures were a success, and Sidney's fine motor skills are developmentally ahead of her peers.

In another adoption I would seek out most any orthopedic issue. Outside of the surgeries (yes they suck, but it is one day of our lives, and what is so important we can't take a day to heal her hands?),  this need has a limited impact on our daily lives.