Reeves Jen Lee - Born Just Right

To every person who helped us grow and learn... especially Dad and Cameron and everyone who was born just right

I f you could be any type of superhero, what would you become?

My name is Jordan, and that question took me in directions I never could have imagined.

Thats because when I had the chance to become a superhero, I became a brand-new one... a hero who could look beyond my physical difference and use it to my advantage. I discovered a fun project that gave me my own kind of superpowers. I found a way to combine glitter and 3-D printing to create something so fun, even someone who doesnt like glitter will smile. (My mom was never a glitter fan, but she lightened up a lot.)

I always say there are too many books about physical differences and not enough stories that just happen to include a person with a physical difference.

This book is about me. I was born with one full arm and one short arm that stopped growing just above the elbow. And my story is about pushing beyond whats normal. It has adventure, creativity, and lots of glitter . My limb difference doesnt define me, but it has given me so many opportunities to see the world in a different way.

Ive had a chance to meet so many amazing people and travel to different parts of the country, learning about the disability world and so much more. Ive learned to be physically and mentally strong, thanks to years of occupational and physical therapy, but also because of sports and other activities! Ive attended an amazing summer camp for kids with limb differences since I was three years old. Ive also had the chance to meet kids across the country through a website my mom launched when I was a baby. Its called Born Just Right because my family always says Im just right, and I was born with just a right hand! (That usually makes people giggle when they hear that play on words.)

Ive also learned how powerful I can be, especially when it comes to thinking outside the box and introducing my ideas to the world. I believe I can do just about anything (other than monkey bars), and so can you!

M y parents didnt know I had a limb difference before I was born on December 29, 2005. Doctors say the circulation in my arm didnt work properly while I was growing. Thats why I was born with a left arm that stopped just above the elbow. Ive never known a life with two hands or two elbows, so it seems totally normal to live a one-handed life.

My birth story is pretty sweet. Mom says she noticed I was born without a hand before anyone else in the room. She asked if I was okay, and the doctor said I was fine. Mom looked up at my dad, and they both agreed. My parents had never even seen a person with one hand until they met me. Whats cool is that they didnt freak out about it. Just like the doctor said, they knew I was fine. My family has never treated me any different from how they treat my older brother, Cameron. Instead, they have all encouraged me to figure it all out .

Which is a good thing. Thats because Im pretty stubborn. I like to take care of things myself! For example, I learned how to put on my socks and shoes when I was really young, in preschool. I remember one time I was in a toddler dance class and all the other kids needed their parents help. I shocked everyone when I sat on the floor and shouted, I DO IT! I stuck my toes into my socks and worked my feet in with one hand. I might have been a little slower, but I didnt need or want help!

That stubbornness gets me in trouble sometimes, but I think its also why I can think up ideas to solve a problem that might be easier for someone with two hands. There arent a lot of people around me who have one hand, so I often have to figure out two-handed things my own way. That usually means trying and trying different ways until I find the one that works. Besides putting on my own shoes and socks, zippers and buttons were also tricky for me when I was little. I learned quickly that even though I might have failed at my first attempt, if I kept trying, I would eventually find the answer. I feel lucky my family didnt step in and do it all for me, or else I probably wouldnt have so many big ideas! My parents say they would have to bite their tongues to keep from offering help sometimes when I was little. They knew I could figure out a lot of things just by having enough time to solve a problem. I walked when I was ready to walk. I had my own technique for putting on clothes and shoes. I didnt always learn those skills at the same pace as kids with typical bodies, but since my parents didnt do things for me, I found my own way. They were teaching me how to be a problem-solver without even realizing it!

I went to a day care center when I was a baby and moved to a preschool when I was a little older. I was the only one-handed kid anyone had ever met. But we were growing up together and learning things together. I didnt get teased because the kids were used to me. And theres something about little kids. They seem to get used to someone who looks different faster than older kids do. But no matter what age I am, there are some things that take me longer to learn. In preschool, that was super obvious. My teachers didnt know how to give me one-handed tips. I did have a therapist who came to school to help me work on those tricky things that we call life skills.

Life skills are also challenging when it comes to meeting new people. I attend public school, and that means I meet new people all the time. When I started in kindergarten, kids werent used to me. My mom made a little picture book that the teachers would read at the start of the school year that showed off all the things I can do. We showed a different version of the book every year until fifth grade. It was a really easy way for kids to see for themselves how I could do a lot of cool things. The book also helped kids know that they had to ask before they touched my little arm. It looks different, so some kids think its a great idea to grab it and see what it feels like. The problem is, I dont like being grabbed. (Who does?) The book helped kids feel comfortable around me and taught them to respect my personal space.

These days, I really dont like that book. I know it helped, but that book just reminds me of the harder times when kids werent used to having me around school. As the years went on, I made more and more friends. They learned that just because Im different, that doesnt mean Im scary. I can still be a really good friend. I dont plan to do anything special to introduce my difference when I start middle school, or even when I start high school. People are going to figure out Im okay just by getting to know me first.

A little book didnt stop all my problems at school. There were mean kids on the playground. (I wasnt afraid to complain about them to my principal.) There were kids who would whisper or stare as I walked by in the hallway. I had strange experiences in my after-school program. But most of the time, the kids would learn how my disability might look different but that I didnt let it stop me from doing my best.

My family is a big part of my life. My dad is a journalist who runs a television newsroom. He also teaches at a university. My mom also works at the same university, and she does cool work on websites and helps different organizations. My brother, Cameron, is four years older than I am, and I think I can do pretty much everything he can do. Actually, I think I can do more than he can. My parents are always reminding me that Im younger, and that drives me crazy. I really dont consider us to be that different.

Cameron has always wanted to help me. Growing up, my mom had to remind him to let me figure things out and do it my own way. The story Mom always uses as an example is a time when we had a homemade sandbox in our backyard. It had a wood side that I needed to climb over to get into the sand. For some reason, that wasnt really easy for me to do. My mom says she remembers physically holding my brother back to keep him from helping me into the sandbox. She wanted me to find a way to get in all by myself. My brother tells me that it made him super angry. He always wanted to help when I was small. I think he still does at times. Thats probably why he and I butt heads often. We both think we can do everything better than the other.