Billy was born on July 28, 1997. He was my 1st child. Billy is now 8 years old and in the 1st grade. I just wanted to share his story as I truly believe Billy is a gift and inspiration to others who may also be born “different”. Billy has no fingers on his right hand. When he was born I spent the 1st year of his life sad and upset. I wondered how he would do in school, sports and in life. It seemed so unfair!
Now that he is 8 (he also has a younger sister and brother), I have no worries and know that Billy is truly my “gift”! He is very self-confident, has many friends and is a leader in school and in sports.
Last night I sat on the bleachers watching him compete in the 2nd round of All-Star tryouts for Little League. He is 1 of 12 out of 70 kids that was asked to tryout and although we won’t know the results for a couple of weeks, you couldn’t find a Mom in the bleachers half as proud as I am! There are no special exceptions for him, he just does everything! When one of the All-Star coaches who had never seen him play before asked him if he brought the wrong glove he just said “No, this is how I do it!” (He has to catch and throw with the same hand – performing a “switch” so quick nobody notices! He plays all positions and he is great! In the words of another 8 year old team-mate “Billy is amazing”!
My advice is to just give your child self-confidence, love and security – all else will take care of itself! Don’t ever use their “difference” as an excuse! Just have faith in God and your child and enjoy them – they are your Gift and someday I hope you can feel what I felt last night sitting in the bleachers watching my “little All-Star”.
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UPDATE:
He is now 9 and is still doing very well. He plays little league in the AA division. He is definitely one of the best and most feared pitchers in his league. He uses a style quite close to the Jim Abbott style of pitching. There is a definite “buzz” when he takes the mound, but the buzz is not about his hand, it is about how “fast” he pitches! I am quite sure that not many people even know that he pitches and fields all with his left hand as his motion is so fluid that only those of us who know him well even know he has a different hand. Along with baseball, he is a great basketball player (2007 All Star Team) and will be doing tennis for the 1st time this summer. We are so proud of him and he is an inspiration to all that know him.
Laurie Inserra
