Day 1 of april limb loss and limb difference awareness month 2025

Come along as I bring my latest cardboard art doll to life. She’s taking shape through layers of reclaimed cardboard, polymer clay, Apoxie Sculpt, rusty wire, salvaged leather, and acrylic paint—stitched together with a little bit of whimsy. My dolls always seem to have a personality of their own, and this one is no different.

I loved sculpting her bilateral upper limb difference and carefully crafting the details of her body-powered transradial prosthesis with a figure-9 harness. As a silicone lab technician, my knowledge of upper limb harnessing wasn’t quite there. Luckily, my partner (and husband), David, has a long history with traditional prosthetic harnessing—something I’m less familiar with—but I figured it out eventually!

Like the dolls I make, real-life prosthetic choices are deeply personal. Whether someone with an upper limb difference chooses to use a prosthesis, and what type works best for them (body-powered, myoelectric, silicone, none at all, etc...), there’s no right or wrong—just what feels right for the individual.

She’s not telling me she’s finished just yet—but I’ll know when she is.

Today is the 1st day of April's Limb Loss and Limb Difference Awareness Month. It feels good to make art that reflects our experiences. 

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