A mom from Pennsylvania is raising awareness and celebrating limb differences one year after the birth of her daughter, who has a limb difference herself.
Nicole Edwards posted a video on TikTok on October 7 of the experiences she and her husband Bryan faced last year when they found out that their daughter Sage had amniotic band syndrome.
According to the National Institutes of Health, it is a rare medical condition where a band in the fetus' amniotic sac amputates an area of the body.
Edwards had mixed emotions upon learning Sage had amniotic band syndrome
Edwards told "Good Morning America" that her main goal was to show them that it would be OK and that their child would be happy and they just needed to be there to support and love them. She said parents are allowed to be angry and sad, which does not make them less of a mother or a father.
According to Edwards, she still remembers the mix of emotions that she felt when she first learned that her daughter Sage has a unilateral limb difference, which affects her right arm.
Edwards said that she just had all these emotions going all over her. She added that there was also anger besides sadness, and she was bewildered and worried about her child's future.
Edwards on a mission to educate herself and others about limb difference
Edwards said that she has been on a mission to educate herself on a subject matter she once knew nothing about. She also wanted to continue to shine a light on limb differences online, where she had found a supportive community through organizations such as Lucky Fin Project and other content creator mothers. That includes Beth Liepholtz of @beth_and_coop and the Wonderfully Me Society.
The 32-year-old mom said that she made it her goal and her journey in life to educate other parents who may not be educated on limb differences. Edwards has had time to reflect after celebrating her daughter Sage's first birthday on October 3. She noted that the learning process would be lifelong.
She said that there had been a lot of ups and downs during her kid's first year of life, and there is a lot of learning as they go. Edwards added that her daughter gets frustrated when she looks at her hands, as she can tell the difference between the two.
Edwards said she is sure her daughter is going to ask more and more questions about her condition and that she will answer them with grace. She needs to be just there and be honest and open with her daughter because she would want that for herself as a person.
