Name : Samantha Jo
E-mail : socerchick4life@microsoft.com
Child : 16 years old
City, State: Aurora, MO
Areas affected: Left hand, arm, shoulder blade; a little in spine
Personal History:
I was born with it as far as we know. We noticed when I was about 8, when softball starts getting to that point where you should be able to catch simple throws and pop flys. I was playing at a game, and I got a perfect pop fly. I caught it, and the glove went with the ball when the ball kept playing. And then we started noticing the little things that I couldn't do, such as write, open cans, jars, bottles. And even picking up small things became a problem. When I got a little bit older, I couldn't make a fist, or even make a "three" with my hand, because my fingers wouldn't go down all the way, and when I made a "three" my thumb didn't touch my pinky.
A few years later, band became a problem, because drum sticks, and mallets are held funny, because I have to make it to where the sound is evened out, and that it's comfortable for me to hold, and be able to play for a couple of hours when band camp came up. And when I tried out for baseline, I didn't make it, because I couldn't rotate my wrist like it's supposed to. But mallet percussion, and the cymbals have become my best friend in band. LoL! Typing is sometimes a problem, because I hit the wrong letters. I've learned to type with my hand being the way it is. It hasn't affected my shoulder, elbow, or back any at all. Ever since I was in the 6th grade, I've been going to children hospitals, and have become the lab rat for them. I like it, because I have learned all of these new facts about it and I get to go on all kinds of trips with my doctors and my mom and dad. We go to all the clinics that they need patients to go to.