One adorable little first grader from Chesapeake, Virginia is showing just how fearless you can really be when all the odds are stacked up against you. Anaya Ellick has proven from day one that, with determination and bravery, not even a difficult disability should be able to stop you from living your life full of joy.
With some of the best penmanship a first grader has ever had, Anaya was recently awarded the Nicholas Maxim Special Award for Excellence in Manuscript Penmanship.
Her perfect writing is done by grasping the pencil in between her two forearms and standing at her desk in order to get the perfect angle.
“We looked at her writing and were just stunned to see how well her handwriting was, considering she writes without hands,” competition director Kathleen Wright told ABC News. “Her writing sample was comparable to someone who had hands.”
The award did not come as a surprise for Anaya’s mother Bianca Middleton because from birth Anaya has always been a fighter.
One example of this is when Anaya was given a modified fork with a strap to help her eat; she refused it and insisted on using a normal fork. Because she does not have hands to hold the fork, she uses her forearms to hold it while she eats.
“Anaya has been so positive and confident,” Middleton told the Today show. “Anaya has never been down on herself.”
Though each of our individual struggles will be different, Anaya sets an example that– if you have enough determination– you can truly live a life of joy. Instead of giving up and letting your roadblock define your life, choose to live like Anaya and push yourself to go further than you ever thought you could.
Watch the video below for the full story, and share with someone who needs the encouragement today!
Source from Inspire More
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