VIDEO: Using a kayak hand

Last summer, our family bought our very first kayak. It's a used ocean kayak that we knew we'd love but waited many years until we finally purchased one. We bought some kayak paddles and Jordan got a canoe paddle. She was great at it. But she wanted to do more. She wanted to be able to kayak.So last July, we worked on Jordan's newest helper arm and made sure she had a hand that would make it possible to kayak. It's a Lego-hand that also has a "wrist" that moves side to side. We had to wait almost a full year, but today was the moment of truth. Jordan got her helper arm on and hopped into the kayak.We discovered Jordan tries to dig into the water like a canoe paddle and when she does that, her hand pops out. But once she mastered a more shallow paddle style, she was really pulling her weight in the kayak. Jordan learned paddling can be hard work, but she did such an awesome job.

This is a perfect example of why we work with prosthetics. Without owning one, we would have never been able to identify the different activities she wants extra help. Her Lego-hand not only helps with kayaking, it helps with biking. That's a skill she's struggled with for years. During Camp No Limits, she came closer than ever to mastering that skill. Tomorrow, she plans to keep working on it. She's even excited. That's a pretty big deal. Vacation rocks.