amputation

Pete’s ABS Story

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I was born in 1979 with a “natural” amputation of my right arm, four inches below the elbow. This has certainly not slowed me down, I am an avid rock climber, ice climber, mountaineer, snowboarder, kayaker, biker and some more stuff.

I have never before tried to find out much information about ABS, but now at 25 I am realizing that it has become more difficult to live with my arm, or lack thereof. So in trying to really come full circle with what I have been given in life I guess I felt like I needed to branch out,

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Rebekah’s ABS Story

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My name is Rebekah Hale. I was born with my left hand and forearm missing due to Amniotic Band Syndrome. I used to be extremely self conscious of my arm. When we would go places and sit down, I would tuck my arm behind my back. From about seven to ten, I was very shy about my arm. Thinking back, I’m almost positive I was ashamed to be the way I am.

Ridicule from the children at school didn’t exactly help.

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Ross’s ABS Story

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I’m 47 years old and just learned about ABS. My right arm matches the description of one of the potential outcomes of the syndrome, as I was born with a below-elbow amputation and have the characteristic “nubbins” (I dislike the word) on the end of my limb. As a youngster, I was told that umbilical cord ‘strangulation’ of the limb was possibly the cause of my deformity. The ABS explanation strikes me as more plausible.

I was first fitted for a prosthesis when I was 14 months old,

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Tracy’s ABS Story

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Firstly, I really appreciate this site. I am currently 24 years old, almost 25. Until now, no one has ever actually given me a name for the birth defects I was born with. A friend called me today and told me he met someone who had similar looking defects to mine, so I started to research it with the name he gave me: Amniotic Banding Syndrome. It’s such an amazing feeling finally to know that there are others with the same conditions. I had always been told that my problems were just called “birth defects.”

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Shelbie’s ABS Story

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Shelbie was born on July 31, 2003 with bilateral clubfeet and amniotic band syndrome. I had had a pretty stressful pregnancy.

My triple-screens numbers were in the range where it looked like she was going to have down-syndrome. I opted not to have an amniocenteses as there is high rate of miscarriage. We were thrilled to find out we were having a girl as we already had a 3 year old son, Sean. Sean was late to deliver and I had stress tests and quite a few ultrasounds with him.

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Stevie’s ABS Story

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Stevie was born on September 3rd, 2005 with ABS. While Stevie was in my tummy, The Amniotic Bands wrapped around my son’s left arm from below his elbow down. My husband and I did not know until the day he was born. I will never the shock, when they laid my little boy on top of me, I can not explain all the feelings that rushed through me or what I felt for my little boy when I looked down and saw his arm.

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Thomas’ Success Story

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Thomas was born at 32 1/2 weeks on October 19, 2002 (Due 12-09-02) 3 lbs 15 1/2 oz ; 16 1/2 inches long. Thomas is a healthy boy today because of modern medicine. If he was conceived only a few years ago he would not have survived.

He was an identical triplet, but his brothers were conjoined twins. The twins had no chance of survival, but were threatening the third baby’s life. As a result we made the tough decision to have surgery in San Fransisco that would stop the sharing of blood through Twin Twin Transfusion and save Thomas.

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