August 12, 2011

Sarah Reinertsen

     I just finished reading In a Single Bound: Losing my leg, finding myself, and training for life by Sarah Reinertsen. I had never heard of Sarah until a few weeks ago when someone posted a you tube video of her on the PFFD facebook page. The video moved me to tears. If you haven't seen it I highly recommend it.  It's only a few minutes long, but very inspirational. I googled her name and found her website and her book, which I ordered that same day and read in about a weeks time.  Sarah is an athlete who regularly competes in marathons, bicycle races, and triathlons. She was born with PFFD and had her leg amputated at age seven.  It's a great read especially for a person or parent of someone with PFFD. It was nice to read her perspective as she grew up with and dealt with PFFD, and an amputation.  I appreciated her honesty and her spunky/feisty spirit.  She's a great role model for me, and my daughters.
    Another thing I found were the Sarahbears that she created. It is a teddy bear with an amputated leg, and it wears a prosthetic. How great is that?  I'm sure it would be a great comfort to a child who also has had an amputation or wears a prosthetic. I'd like one for my girls, because it's important to build tolerance and acceptance at a young age.
     It's funny even though I've finished the book, I just can't seem to put it on a shelf quite yet. It's still sitting on our coffee table, as a visual reminder. I like seeing it on a regular basis, reminding me of Sarah's courage, honesty, determination, and strength.

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