A two-year-old child from China has melted hearts on mainland social media after she independently attached a prosthetic limb for the first time and successfully stood up.
One online user who uses the pseudonym “Iron Leg Girl Xinhe” from Jiangsu province in southeast China shared the heartwarming video, which featured the toddler navigating the process of attaching her limb and following guidance from her mother, surnamed Kong.
In the video, the mother constantly praises her daughter with encouragement like: “Which part do you wear first? Wow, baby, you’re amazing! Then what comes next? You’re so talented! Xinhe is just too incredible!”
At the start of the process, the toddler, who was not identified, initially attempts to directly apply the prosthetic’s outer shell without using the foam padding or the fitted sock for protection.
However, her mother patiently led her down the correct road.
“Can you think of what else you forgot to put on? Shouldn’t you also wear this?” asks the mother.
When the little girl figured out the prosthetic and stood up, she excitedly walked around and did a little spin on her bed.
Concluding the video, Kong says: “A mother knows that growing up will give you strength. As parents, we strive to pave your path carefully. May you live life fully, with sincerity, bravery, and confidence.”
Kong explained to BaiLu Video that her daughter was born without her right leg and some fingers due to congenital Amniotic Band Syndrome, a disorder in which bands of tissue in the mother’s uterus entangle a developing fetus, most often wrapping around an arm, leg, fingers, or toes, which restricts blood flow.
This can lead to the separation of the affected body parts from the fetus or amputation after birth. It can even cause fetal death in the uterus if blood cannot reach vital organs.
The baby’s condition was not discovered until after birth, and the child began wearing a prosthetic limb when she was 10 months old.
“She has been wearing prosthetics for over a year now and has already gone through four different sizes. We have been putting them on and taking them off for her every day,” Kong said.
“That morning, my daughter said she wanted to try putting it on herself, and she did. This was the first time she put on a prosthetic limb, although she did not put it on correctly and I eventually helped her. She spent about 16-17 minutes trying to get it right.”
The video had attracted 61,000 likes and about 8,000 comments at the time of writing, eliciting a wave of support and blessings for the little girl.
“The prosthetic limb is simply shoes for her. She is such a brave girl!” one person said.
Another said: “This little girl is awesome! Everyone feels sorry that she is missing a leg, but no one noticed that she’s also missing four fingers, meaning she’s using her palm and fist to wear the prosthetic. It’s hard even for us adults to put on socks with a fist.”
“The child has already suffered, and I hope the rest of her life goes smoothly!” added a third.