SuperHands Heroes are named on Adriane Grimaldi’s website Special Blessings. Adriane is a SuperHand Hero herself.

Adriane, from Scottsdale, Arizona, was born without a right hand and recently found out it most likely was from ABS. Special Blessings is a support group for parents who have a child born with Amniotic Banding Syndrome (ABS) or really anyone with a limb difference.

Adriane visited the Cayman Islands last week with the Dive Pirates, a scuba diving group who regularly stay at the Brac Reef Resort.  Despite her disability she snorkelled between Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, a distance of five miles, in 3 hours and 40 minutes, using the snorkel fins on her feet to do the normal arm motion.

This is her seventh long distance swim.

The Special Blessings group was created in October 2001 by bringing two mothers together who recently had children born with limb differences. They had both commented they looked for a support group but couldn’t find any in the area. They had no one to talk to who would understand what they are going through.

Today, Special Blessings has 33 families that are connected and continues to grow. This group provides an opportunity for parents to meet other parents, people to share information and a chance for the children to interact with each other and see they are not alone.

Special Blessings also provides support for adults including those who have suffered limb loss due to diabetes, motorcycle accidents and veterans with limb loss.

It meets once a month in an informal meeting, usually at a parent’s home, and often meets for special events as well.

Here is a comment from a parent in Fresno, CA whom Adriane connected with via the Internet. She saw her posting on ICAN website. She looked at her personal website showing some of her more “adventurous” activities. Her comments sum up why Special Blessings was created:

“My daughter’s story is identical. She is also missing her right hand below her wrist due to amniotic band and the way you described your hand is exactly how her tiny hand looks right now.

“I can’t even find words to tell you how helpful your website is – I don’t know anyone around here who can even relate to what we’re going through. We live in Fresno, California. The hospital where she was born had never seen it and all the births her doctor had been present at, she told us she had never seen it either. It’s like no one in Fresno has it. My heart aches for the things we don’t know yet, but your information has given me some hope on what she will be able to do.”

“I’ve never let being born with one hand slow me down. It’s all about attitude. If you set your mind to it, you can achieve it,” Adriane said.

For more information on SuperHands Heroes go to: http://www.superhands.us/pages/adriane.html

If you want to be a SuperHands Kid or Hero, or know any inspiring stories that would be a benefit to this site’s viewers, please an email to [email protected].

PHOTO: Adriane on the left with Santa in the Middle and another Special Blessings attendee. Every year Santa makes a special visit for the kids.