Born with a limb difference, Shelby has spent nearly a decade growing up alongside her care team at Shriners Children's Lexington.
Shelby, born with a limb difference and now a Shriners Children’s Lexington patient, is a self-proclaimed Rock, Paper, Scissors champion. She never loses a game.
“That’s a rock,” Shelby will say, winning yet another round of Rock, Paper, Scissors, using her prosthetic hand.
But that’s just one of the many fun facts about Shelby.
The 15-year-old is constantly discovering what she’s capable of.
From painting detailed landscapes to writing and now driving – all with her prosthetic arm – Shelby continues to grow in confidence, creativity and independence.
Before Shelby ever came to Shriners Children’s Lexington, her family was navigating the unknown.
During a prenatal ultrasound, Shelby’s parents learned she had a limb difference affecting her left arm. At the time, they weren’t sure what to expect.
“It was our first encounter with anything like that,” Christy, Shelby’s mom, said. “As a pregnant mom, it was stressful. I didn’t know everything was going to work.”
But from the beginning, Shelby adapted.
“The cool thing is Shelby is amazing,” Christy said. “She’s pretty adept at everything.”
As a baby, Shelby’s family began exploring what care could look like. During their early visits to the medical center, the care team took time to answer questions, provide guidance and even connect them with another family whose child had a similar experience.
“That was really helpful,” Christy said. “Up until then, she hadn’t seen another kid like her.”
At the time, Shelby’s family chose not to pursue a prosthesis. Instead, they focused on letting her grow and develop naturally, knowing they had support when they were ready.
The community here is great. Everyone always makes me feel welcome.
By the time she was 7, Shelby had already learned how to navigate the world in her own way. But as she grew, she and her family began looking for options that could support her budding independence and help her feel more balanced.
At Shriners Children’s Lexington, they found a team ready to guide them through every step. Her care team includes Janet Walker, M.D., and Eric Miller, a certified prosthetist and manager of Shriners Children’s Lexington Pediatric Orthotic and Prosthetic Services (POPS).
“The community here is great,” she said. “Everyone always makes me feel welcome.”
Shelby said she’s never even had a visit where she wasn’t offered snacks. “I love that Shriners Children’s isn’t just a place that people work,” she said. “You can tell that everyone cares here.”
Shelby’s first prosthesis was a cosmetic arm, something she chose to help fill her shirt sleeves and feel more like other kids her age. It gave her confidence, but over time, her goals began to shift.
When she was ready to explore new options, her care team took the time to walk her and her family through every possibility, explaining the differences and focusing on what would work best for her.
That’s what Shelby’s mom loves about Shriners Children’s Lexington. “I know that Shriners Children’s, regardless of a family’s financial situation – if they have insurance or don’t – they’re going to do what’s right for the kid,” Christy said. “They’re going to show all the options, lay out the pros and cons, and then let the child make the decision that’s right for them.”
Shelby eventually tried a myoelectric prosthesis. While advanced, it proved difficult to control and did not give her the function she was hoping for. Still, the experience helped her better understand what she needed.
In 2024, Shelby returned to Shriners Children’s Lexington to try something new.
Working with her prosthetist, Shelby chose a body-powered prosthesis that better matched her lifestyle. Together, they customized a lightweight device designed to support her everyday activities.
“I already had a cosmetic prosthesis, so I didn’t really want to do that at that point,” Shelby said. “I’d already had a myoelectric arm which was too heavy, so I knew that I wanted one that was functional but wasn’t going to be too heavy because I did not have a ton of muscle to move it. So, the prosthesis that best fit my needs was body-powered.”
Learning to use it took time and determination. Shelby practiced every day, building strength and control. She learned how to open water bottles, hold paper, pick up small objects, and eventually write.
“I actually had better control over my prosthetic than I thought I would,” Shelby said. “It was really cool to be able to build those skills.”
Eric Miller, Shelby’s longtime prosthetist, said Shelby can do all the things she does because she practices with her prosthesis every day. “She wears it and practices all the time,” Eric said. “It’s not, ‘OK, I’m going to put this harness on, and tomorrow, I’m going to be writing like Shelby.’ No, it takes time.”
Shelby said her body-powered prosthesis is also more durable, which allows her to feel more comfortable using it every day. “There aren’t a lot of things that I’m not able to use it for or choose not to,” she said.
The only time Shelby doesn’t really use her prosthetic arm is when eating dinner with her family or playing soccer.
Shelby rides with Eric Miller, POPS manager at Shriners Children's Lexington, to help evaluate potential prosthetic adaptations that could make driving easier and more comfortable.
As Shelby gained confidence, she began exploring new ways to use her prosthesis, especially through art.
She discovered she could paint using her prosthesis, creating landscapes with sweeping strokes and detailed touches. For Shelby, art has become more than a hobby. It became a way to express herself. “Art has helped me express myself through so much,” Shelby said. “When my dad passed away, I was able to pour myself into my drawings.”
In 2025, Shelby used her passion to give back to Shriners Children’s Lexington. She participated in Art with Heart, where she painted a landscape with her prosthesis and put it up for auction. She raised hundreds of dollars for the medical center during the auction.
“Sometimes, I even prefer painting with my prosthesis,” Shelby said.
Her care team has always supported her creativity in meaningful ways. When Shelby was learning to play the ukulele at 8, the POPS team created a custom device to help her hold a pick so she could strum and play. “They just did it,” Christy said. “That’s just who they are.”
With each new milestone, Shelby’s confidence continued to grow.
Now, Shelby is a Patient Ambassador for Shriners Children’s Lexington. She even shares her story with others in her community, speaking to younger students in her school district about her experiences and encouraging them to ask questions and embrace differences. She helps others see what’s possible. “I’ve watched her grow in confidence and believe that she can do anything she sets her mind to,” Christy said. “And now, she wants to help other kids believe that too.”
Shelby even offers advice to patients about to receive their first prosthesis. “Explore all the options and understand what each device would give you and how it would benefit you and your hobbies and what you would be able to accomplish with them versus without,” Shelby said. “And if you don’t think that it would fit your lifestyle, then I wouldn’t get one.”
Those experiences have helped shape Shelby’s future.
Inspired by her care team, she hopes to become an occupational therapist, helping children like herself learn to adapt, build confidence and discover their own potential. “When I think about other kids like me, I want to be able to set a good example for them to learn from and maybe even draw inspiration from,” Shelby said.
She is also continuing to work with the POPS team to develop a device for her prosthesis that will make driving easier as she learns to drive.
But one thing’s for certain: Shelby has never thought about what she can’t do. Instead, she focuses on what she can do, and she does so with humor and positivity.
“One of the things, when younger kids come up to me, they’ll ask me about what I can’t do instead of what I can do,” Shelby said. “So, usually, I just tell them that I’m not good at doing a handstand, but I can beat you in Rock, Paper, Scissors, no matter what.”
