GIVE A HAND for Caiya's Lucky Fin
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GIVE A HAND for Caiya’s Lucky Fin
My name is Kasia Brozeski, Sales Process Manager at the Jim Shorkey AutoGroup. I am the mother of Caiya Jayden Brozeski. Caiya was born on December 12, 2010 without a left hand. I went to my doctor’s appointment at 18 weeks to find out the gender of my baby and was told she was missing a limb. I was in shock. I began processing what I had been told and was thankful that my daughter was not missing her spine or a portion of her brain, and that it was only a limb. After a healthy birth, I looked down at the precious little girl lying in my arms and started crying. I didn’t know what to do or how to adapt. She would never wear a wedding ring, do cartwheels with me in the yard, paint her fingernails or put her hair into a braid. I was overcome with negativity. I decided then and there that I would do everything in my power to make Caiya feel as normal as everyone else. She is different in other’s eyes, but in mine she is perfect. When Caiya’s cousins came to meet her at the hospital, they were intrigued. I explained to them that their new cousin is like NEMO from Finding Nemo. That she has a lucky fin, because her left arm is smaller than her right. “She is the same as you and
me, but she has a NEMO”, and the nickname has stuck ever since.
My daughter is one of the most incredible little girls I know. I treat her like any other four year old. I teach her that there is good and bad everywhere and to always be the bigger person, to be grateful for what you have and that there are others who have problems worse than ours. We give to those less fortunate and volunteer on Christmas Day. I remind her that no matter how bad things may seem, be grateful for what you have.
Everyday we encounter another obstacle and I have to think of ways to help Caiya overcome it. When she was younger, I would place a sock over my left hand to learn
how to do things, so that I could then teach my daughter. Even this past summer, I went back to that mindset to teach her how to swim and to ride a bike. Everyday things that most take for granted are obstacles for my daughter. In preschool the children are
learning to cut shapes. This is extremely difficult for Caiya. Daily, she feels defeated because she is not like the other children. No matter what I say or how much I tell her she is loved, I can’t take the pain away from my daughter. This is the worst feeling for a parent. You want to protect your child. When they scrape a knee you put a bandaid on it. When my child can’t do something, that she sees everyone else doing, I can’t put a
bandaid on it.
Since she started preschool last year, Caiya has been asking why she has a “Nemo”. She asked if her hand was in the mail and where could I get her one. My heart breaks every time, and I reassure her that she is perfect the way she is. Of late, this has become not good enough. As a single parent, I am the provider, teacher, friend and parent 24/7 and like all parents, I want only good for my little girl.
During my pregnancy and ever since, I have been visiting orthopedic surgeons to see what our options are. We have two. One, a robotic hand made by a 3-D printer. It is an extension of her arm and has a hand on the end. The hand opens when her arm is extended and closes when her arm is bent. These are great, but we would need to keep getting them sized as she grows. The second option is a hand transplant. This a very intense procedure and would be the most beneficial route for Caiya, being that the hand would grow with her. Because my daughter was born without her hand, some insurance companies view this transplant as cosmetic surgery and will not cover it. The hand transplant has been a goal of mine since December of 2010. Any extra money I can save I put away to hopefully one day make my daughter’s dream come
true. When I was told that people wanted to help me get the ball rolling with this dream, I was in shock and overwhelmed with emotion. I could not believe what I heard. Was this really happening to me? Am I going to be able to provide my daughter the onething she wants most? I was beyond excited and grateful, and couldn’t wait to tell Caiya. When I explained to her that people from work wanted to help get her her hand,
she lit up. I have never seen joy like that! She started kicking her legs and saying YES, YES! Once the shock wore of, I asked her what she was most excited about. Caiya can’t wait to make heart shapes in photos like her cousins, to play baseball with her cousins, to tie her shoes, to do back bends, cut out her artwork, ride her bike without leaning forward, and hold two Barbie’s and have them talk to each other! Small things that we see children doing everyday are things that my daughter is now so excited to start doing.
To be given this opportunity is life changing for Caiya and myself. It is the one thing in all the world I have wanted since she was born. My daughter is my world and the joy I feel for being able to make her dream come true is the most rewarding feeling of my life. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping make my daughter’s dream become a reality.
My name is Kasia Brozeski, Sales Process Manager at the Jim Shorkey AutoGroup. I am the mother of Caiya Jayden Brozeski. Caiya was born on December 12, 2010 without a left hand. I went to my doctor’s appointment at 18 weeks to find out the gender of my baby and was told she was missing a limb. I was in shock. I began processing what I had been told and was thankful that my daughter was not missing her spine or a portion of her brain, and that it was only a limb. After a healthy birth, I looked down at the precious little girl lying in my arms and started crying. I didn’t know what to do or how to adapt. She would never wear a wedding ring, do cartwheels with me in the yard, paint her fingernails or put her hair into a braid. I was overcome with negativity. I decided then and there that I would do everything in my power to make Caiya feel as normal as everyone else. She is different in other’s eyes, but in mine she is perfect. When Caiya’s cousins came to meet her at the hospital, they were intrigued. I explained to them that their new cousin is like NEMO from Finding Nemo. That she has a lucky fin, because her left arm is smaller than her right. “She is the same as you and
me, but she has a NEMO”, and the nickname has stuck ever since.
My daughter is one of the most incredible little girls I know. I treat her like any other four year old. I teach her that there is good and bad everywhere and to always be the bigger person, to be grateful for what you have and that there are others who have problems worse than ours. We give to those less fortunate and volunteer on Christmas Day. I remind her that no matter how bad things may seem, be grateful for what you have.
Everyday we encounter another obstacle and I have to think of ways to help Caiya overcome it. When she was younger, I would place a sock over my left hand to learn
how to do things, so that I could then teach my daughter. Even this past summer, I went back to that mindset to teach her how to swim and to ride a bike. Everyday things that most take for granted are obstacles for my daughter. In preschool the children are
learning to cut shapes. This is extremely difficult for Caiya. Daily, she feels defeated because she is not like the other children. No matter what I say or how much I tell her she is loved, I can’t take the pain away from my daughter. This is the worst feeling for a parent. You want to protect your child. When they scrape a knee you put a bandaid on it. When my child can’t do something, that she sees everyone else doing, I can’t put a
bandaid on it.
Since she started preschool last year, Caiya has been asking why she has a “Nemo”. She asked if her hand was in the mail and where could I get her one. My heart breaks every time, and I reassure her that she is perfect the way she is. Of late, this has become not good enough. As a single parent, I am the provider, teacher, friend and parent 24/7 and like all parents, I want only good for my little girl.
During my pregnancy and ever since, I have been visiting orthopedic surgeons to see what our options are. We have two. One, a robotic hand made by a 3-D printer. It is an extension of her arm and has a hand on the end. The hand opens when her arm is extended and closes when her arm is bent. These are great, but we would need to keep getting them sized as she grows. The second option is a hand transplant. This a very intense procedure and would be the most beneficial route for Caiya, being that the hand would grow with her. Because my daughter was born without her hand, some insurance companies view this transplant as cosmetic surgery and will not cover it. The hand transplant has been a goal of mine since December of 2010. Any extra money I can save I put away to hopefully one day make my daughter’s dream come
true. When I was told that people wanted to help me get the ball rolling with this dream, I was in shock and overwhelmed with emotion. I could not believe what I heard. Was this really happening to me? Am I going to be able to provide my daughter the onething she wants most? I was beyond excited and grateful, and couldn’t wait to tell Caiya. When I explained to her that people from work wanted to help get her her hand,
she lit up. I have never seen joy like that! She started kicking her legs and saying YES, YES! Once the shock wore of, I asked her what she was most excited about. Caiya can’t wait to make heart shapes in photos like her cousins, to play baseball with her cousins, to tie her shoes, to do back bends, cut out her artwork, ride her bike without leaning forward, and hold two Barbie’s and have them talk to each other! Small things that we see children doing everyday are things that my daughter is now so excited to start doing.
To be given this opportunity is life changing for Caiya and myself. It is the one thing in all the world I have wanted since she was born. My daughter is my world and the joy I feel for being able to make her dream come true is the most rewarding feeling of my life. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping make my daughter’s dream become a reality.
Organizer
Kasia Brozeski
Organizer
Trafford, PA