Summon the Tiger

I was born with congenital abnormalities… I was missing both the ulna and the tibia on my right side. My radius and fibula were bowed inward, and my right hand’s middle and index finger were webbed together, the index finger a mere stub. I have no right thumb and my wrist is noticeably clubbed. That arm from the elbow down is quite unattractive and is now a good nine inches shorter than my left. I vaguely remember being told that for a time I was in a leg brace to try and straighten and support my right leg, but I do not remember. I was told that at two months old my mother shipped me off to my grandmother in Cleveland while she investigated facilities that took in disabled children. I don’t know how long I was with my grandmother, but after visiting several institutions my mother decided that perhaps I didn’t need to be shuttled off to one of them. She saw severely disabled children and decided maybe I wasn’t so bad after all. That fact haunted me – I would not be surprised if it still does. My mother didn’t want me. I was so far from perfect.