What happened to your arm?
Monday, March 30th, 2009I get this one all the time. 
The short answer is that I was born without an arm, but that isn’t much of a blog post. So here’s a bit more of an answer:
Congenital limb deficiencies are actually fairly common (Here’s an article from the Amputee Coalition with some stats). Most of the time the cause is unknown as is the case with many birth defects. Sometimes toxins are to blame (remember Thalidomide?). Sometimes genetic abnormalities. The most common label to stick on a birth defect like mine is “Amniotic Band Syndrome,” which is a general way of saying that my limb must have gotten trapped by fibrous bands in utero. Simply circumstance.
When people ask me this question, I usually stick with the succinct answer. It isn’t what they expect. They generally expect to hear details of a gory accident. But all I have to offer is a simple answer and a smile.
Cheesy, I know.
