Our differences are what make us unique and should be something to celebrate about. However, for some people, differences can lead to bullying and feelings of anxiety, depression, and lack of acceptance. Being different can make it harder to feel accepted in peer groups and society as a whole, especially for kids.
For the parents of one little girl who was born without hands, they’re doing everything possible to help her grow up feeling accepted and celebrated for her uniqueness.
2-year-old Ivy McLeod is like most other 2-year-old girls. She loves drawing with markers, playing, and being silly. The only big difference between her and most other kids is her age is that she’s missing her hands. Her mom regularly shares about Ivy on Instagram to raise awareness and give others a glimpse into their lives.
While Ivy isn’t aware of her differences yet, she will be eventually and her parents are hoping to help her accept herself with the help of a puppy.
Vanessa, Ivy’s mom, decided to find a puppy with a similar difference to Ivy so that little Ivy could grow up with a companion friend who shared her differences and can help teach her that she’s valuable and beautiful, despite not having hands.
She wrote her request on Facebook, saying:
“WE’RE LOOKING FOR A SPECIAL PUPPY!!Our youngest daughter Ivy was born with a limb difference and so of course we’re looking for a very special puppy that is also born with a limb difference!! Please help us find our little unicorn puppy… I feel like somewhere in the world, there’s a little puppy being born or about to be born that is meant to be part of our family.”
She went on to list the specifics of the pup, noting that they wanted a friendly, small-medium dog with a limb difference.
Vanessa was finally able to find the perfect pup for her family who happened to be missing a paw. She shared on Instagram, “on April 6th, the day I initially posted… that very same day, a tiny little puppy was born IN OUR CITY with a little lucky fin. If that’s not fate, I don’t know what is. It’s so very clear to us that she is meant to be part of our family.”
The puppy, who they named Lucky after the Lucky Fin Project, was only two weeks old when they found her, so they had to wait to officially bring her home.
However, they made sure to visit her plenty in the meantime and shared updates on Instagram.
In one post, they shared how “in love” they are with Lucky. They said, “She loves to sleep on her back and she loves to snuggle with her sister (the brown puppy in the photos).”
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Lucky slowly began to grow and she’ll be ready to go home soon!
Vanessa shared with CTV News that she wants to tell her daughter when she’s older, “You know you were born that way but different is beautiful and this puppy was also born that way and that is also a beautiful thing.”