on display

My photos of Natalie are going to be part of a medical display for a year in Dallas!

Yesterday we took our youngest to Shriner's Hospital in Philadelphia for a follow up appointment with her hand surgeon. For those of you who don't know her history, Natalie was born with a deformity of her left arm: ulnar deficiency with an absent thumb, as well as a fused elbow. In October, 2010, Dr Kozin (one of the country's top pediatric hand surgeon) moved her index finger to become her new thumb. He actually had the surgery filmed, to be part of teaching presentations (I have no interest in seeing this video!) and has used some of the photos I have taken of her in powerpoint presentations at conferences. He has also had the hospital photographer film her at various follow up appointments to demonstrate how well her new thumb is working.

This one I shot just two days after her cast was removed and she really looked at her hand for the first time and touched her fingers. 

The entire team loved this photo-- Dr Z even had it saved on his phone

These photos are now going to be part of a display at Scottish Rite Hospital in Dallas, TX for a year, documenting the history of thumb pollicization and the amazing outcome this procedure can have for kids like Natalie. 

The Human Hand

When I saw the call for entries for theme of the human hand for the TerrabellaMedia photo contest, I knew I had to enter this photo of my girls' hands.

Count the fingers!

My youngest was born without a thumb on her left hand. A few months before I shot this photo, in October 2010, surgeons at Shriner's Hospital in Philadelphia gave her a thumb by moving her index finger to be her new thumb. She spent much of 2011 in occupational therapy, or "pinch-pinch" learning how to use it and was finished therapy in just 10 months rather than the expected 12-18!

My photo won third place in the contest!

Take a look at all the winners here

Beautiful and poignant photos!

Hands entry for i heart faces

this week at i heart faces the theme is hands

hands are pretty important in our family... Natalie was born without a thumb on her left hand, as well as a short arm, a fused elbow and even a pinky finger that didn't work independently. When we adopted her we had no idea anything could be done to correct her hand. But then we met Dr. Kozin at Shriner's Hospital in Philadelphia. He performed the surgery on her hand last October 26 to create a thumb by moving her index finger.

The results have been amazing and she has become the poster child for thumb pollicization :)  In the last 10 months she had virtually complete function with her new thumb and we just have a few more weeks of occupational therapy to work on some strength. 

I took this photo just three days after her cast came off and she really noticed her new thumb for the first time.

Dr. Kozin has this hanging in his office