Born Without Both Arms, Little Valery Learned to Eat, Paint and Open Doors With Her Feet

When Valery was born in Ecuador, she had a rare congenital limb difference: neither of her arms had developed during pregnancy.

Doctors diagnosed her with complete agenesis of the bilateral upper extremities. Although she had both collarbones and shoulder blades, the bones that would normally form her upper arms, forearms, wrists and hands were absent.

For her family, raising a child with such a significant physical difference meant discovering new ways to approach ordinary daily activities.

But as Valery grew, she began finding solutions of her own.

A Little Girl Who Learned to Use Her Feet

Rather than waiting for someone to complete every task for her, Valery developed remarkable independence.

She learned to feed herself, play with her dolls and paint pictures using her feet and mouth.

She even discovered how to open a door with her foot.

Her mother described her as an independent child who enjoys trying things on her own.

Those adaptations became a natural part of Valery’s everyday life.

A New Beginning in Texas

Valery’s family eventually moved from Ecuador to Central Texas, where she lived with her parents and older sister.

Although the family had been in the United States for several years, they did not initially know that specialized prosthetic services were available through Shriners Children’s.

It was Valery’s school that helped connect them with the hospital.

In December 2025, the family traveled to Galveston for her first appointment with the Pediatric Orthotic and Prosthetic Services team at Shriners Children’s Texas.

Receiving Her First Prosthetic Arms at Six Years Old

At the hospital, Valery met Meredith Roehrs, a certified and licensed prosthetist and orthotist who manages the prosthetics department.

The team began designing and fitting her with prosthetic arms suited to her needs.

Because Valery’s limb difference begins at shoulder level, managing the weight of the devices was an important consideration.

Her specialists worked to create equipment that could introduce new possibilities while respecting the independence she had already developed.

A Smile During Her First Fitting

During her fitting, Valery tried her new prosthetic arms and began exploring what she could do with them.

One particularly touching moment came when she reached toward her older sister and began swinging their hands together.

For a child who had spent her entire life adapting without arms, it was a new kind of experience.

Her prosthetic devices were not intended to erase the skills she had developed using her feet and mouth. They offered additional options for activities she wanted to explore.

Dreaming of Writing, Painting and Playing

When Shriners Children’s shared her story in March 2026, Valery was six years old and attending kindergarten.

Her favorite school subject was math, and she enjoyed movies, video games with her older sister and painting.

With her new prosthetic arms, she was excited about learning to write, type on a computer, hold a book and paint using her hands.

She also hoped to try the monkey bars during recess.

Her family expressed gratitude for the care she received and looked forward to seeing how Valery would use her new devices.

The little girl who had already learned to open doors with her feet was discovering another way to explore the world.

Source: Shriners Children’s Texas, March 5, 2026 — New Arms and New Beginnings for Valery.