Aya Ellick Research Paper

We can wiggle them, we can wave, use a pencil, play patty cake, use them to squeeze, push, pull, throw and a catch a ball, use them to type, use them to draw, and hold onto things that our special to us; the things most take for granted are our hands. Can you imagine your life without hands? Watching a young child go through life without the use of her hands? Said child not knowing what sand really feels like running through your fingers, to build their fine hand muscles to squeeze and push and pull apart playdough, to never turn the pages of their favorite book? Seven-year-old Anaya Ellick is one special child that was born without her hands, but she isn’t letting this hinder her ability to learn in life. Anaya Ellick lives in Chesapeake,
VA, she is in the first grade and was born with stubs where most people’s wrists begin. Anaya is still a regular little girl who hasn’t let her lack of hands delay her in life. She struggles in life just like all children, but her family is teaching her how to be patient in learning and overcoming what a normal little girl can do with hands. Anaya attends GreenBrier Christian Academy, where she uses her upper arm to write and draw. “She had to write the word “Share” its definition and part of speech. Balancing it between her arms, near her wrists, she weaved it across the, producing perfectly neat letters.” (Mike Connor, “Born Without Hands, Girl Wins National Handwriting Contest” The Virginian Pilot/DisabilityScoop.com, (2016) Page 1)
Anaya’s outstanding writing was enough to win the Nicholas Maxim Special Award for Excellence in Manuscript Penmanship, showing that there is nothing that can’t be done even if a child has disabilities. I truly believe that Anaya’s story has impact on other people, learning disabilities or not because she is showing everyone that even though we all struggle in life, we can still make the best of what life has given us, use it to our advantage and continuously move on and learn a variety of things. Her story has taught me that all children with disabilities should have a parent or educator encouraging them to continue to do better and strive for the unthinkable and even the unattainable, after all children with disabilities are future children of America just like all other children without disabilities and if Anaya becomes a scientist or Astronaut I can’t wait to see how she will change our world.