Little Felicity: no limbs but she’s thriving
Born without limbs, Felicity was taken in by a foster family. Today she’s in Grade 3 and thriving
SHE loves Ariana Grande, watching the Nickelodeon TV channel, dressing up and playing with her best friend. She doesn’t like homework or chores or getting up early for school.
All in all, Felicity is like any other little girl – except for the challenges she’s still learning to overcome.
It’s been three years since we visited her (YOU, 1 June 2017), and she’s come on in leaps and bounds. She’s an inspiration to her foster mom, Karen Bruyere, and everyone else who takes the time to get to know this remarkable eight-yearold.
hen YOU arrives at Tswhane Haven in Pretoria, where she lives with Karen and a number of babies being cared for in the home, Felicity is eating her lunch from a bowl, deftly scooping her food up with her left upper stump.
When she’s done, Karen (58) whisks her off the chair and puts her on the floor where she bounds across the living room to greet us.
Felicity is now in Grade 3 at New Hope School for children with special needs in Waterkloof.
Her favourite subject is English, the little chatterbox informs us. “I kind of like maths and we also do Afrikaans. We’re still practising but I can speak a bit of it. My best friend is Minenhle and we do fun things together. We make up lots of games and help each other.”
Felicity swims every Friday, plays soccer, bounces on the trampoline, loves wheelchair dancing and is crazy about weekends because then she plays with her friends in the home.
“We run around, jumping and singing,” she says. And they dress up, putting on jewellery and bangles and lipstick, she adds. “But no earrings,” she says firmly. “I don’t like earrings.”
She also loves movies and hopes to see the new Dolittle film soon – although going to the mall can be hard on her.
“It makes me a bit nervous and unhappy, especially when other kids stare and talk about me,” she says.
But she’s trying to ignore it. “I don’t think they’re mean – it’s just that they haven’t seen somebody who doesn’t have arms and legs.”
“And what do you tell the other kids when they ask what happened to you?” Karen prompts, kissing Felicity’s forehead.
“I was born like this,” she responds.
IT FEELS like yesterday that Karen received the call from Steve Biko Academic Hospital. A little girl had been born without limbs. “Felicity’s mom decided she wasn’t able to care for her,” Karen recalls. “She was also afraid to take her back to Zimbabwe, where she was from. She was afraid the baby would be killed.”
Karen went to the hospital and saw the two-day-old baby wrapped in a blanket. “I picked her up and she opened her eyes and they were full of life.”
It was love at first sight. Karen took her home, lavished her with love and she thrived. She weighed 2,6kg at birth and
is now a healthy 11,62kg.
Felicity is a star, Karen says. She does well at school and can write, draw and paint by supporting pencils and brushes with her left upper stump, which is slightly longer than her right.
“She can go up and down the stairs on her own and is so motivated. She can do almost everything other kids can do.”
Felicity is also invaluable around the home, playing with the babies and popping dummies back in mouths.
“I’m astounded at how her self-confidence has developed – she’s really found her voice. I’ve stopped talking for her. But she’s also like any other eightyear-old and can be a bit stubborn at times.”
Karen has two biological sons and five other foster children, and Felicity receives no special treatment. “She gets praised and punished for the same things the other children do.”
FELICITY does need extra help with some things, such as going to the toilet and bathing, but generally she’s pretty independent. The family made a point of encouraging her to do things on her own from an early age. She’s been walking on her lower stumps unaided since she was three, and when she gets tired she simply rolls. She can climb into her wheelchair, onto a bed and into her cupboard to get toys or clothes and can do anything she puts her mind to. Felicity tried prosthetics a while ago but she didn’t like them because they hurt her, Karen says. They’re exploring other forms of prostheses, including ones that are implanted into the skin. Meanwhile, they’re working on her posture, Karen says. Felicity is relatively healthy although she has a few problems with her arms and ears. “She develops [bursitis] on her arms because the bone rubs against the skin,” Karen says. Bursas are small, fluid-filled sacs in the body that reduce friction at moveable places such as joints. Bursitis happens when the bursa’s membrane becomes inflamed. “When thi s happens she usually has to have an operation. “And her ears often leak fluid – she’s had grommets but doctors are doing further tests to find the root cause.”
All in all though, the little girl is flourishing. It’s not so much how Felicity has grown but how she’s developed that makes Karen’s heart want to burst with pride. “She motivates people,” Karen says. “They look at everything she’s achieved and it’s just plain inspiring.”
Tshwane Haven has its share of problems. Karen has worked with doctors and specialists for years, taking in ailing premature babies, and baby formula and nappies are often in short supply. The building is also in need of maintenance but Karen says they manage somehow. Why does she keep doing this? “Because I keep getting calls saying babies need help,” she says simply.
For Felicity this is just home, a place where she feels safe and loved.
Karen has many hopes for her little girl but the main one is for her to be happy.
“My dream is for her to achieve all the goals she’s set for herself.” And she has no doubt Felicity won’t disappoint her.