An adorable photo of a toddler who was born without a hand has taken the internet by storm as it shows him grinning while he fist bumped a football star with the same condition.
21-month-old Joseph Tidd was born without his left forearm due to a limb reduction defect and with an Instagram account dedicated to raising awareness about his condition the toddler’s followers are used to him making them smile.
However, Joseph’s popularity reached new levels recently as the photo of him with Orlando Pride defender Carson Pickett was spread far and wide across the internet.
The snap was taken at one of Orlando Pride’s matches last month, where the young boy cheered for Carson, who was also born without a left forearm, from the sidelines before she walked over to greet the family.
In the photo, caught by Joseph’s mum Colleen, Carson can be seen leaning into the crowd to fist bump the little boy, causing him to break out in a huge smile.
Their exchange was caught on camera and shared to Joseph’s Instagram page, where the caption described the 25-year-old as a ‘role model’ and explained how the toddler ‘couldn’t stop giggling’ at their encounter.
Take a look at the lovely scene here:
According to The Washington Post, the 21-month-old first met Carson after the Pride’s home opener in April, when a Fox 35 Orlando reporter the family knew worked with the football team to make the connection.
Carson reportedly spent half an hour playing with Joseph while the youngster’s father, Miles, compared notes with the footballer’s parents about raising a child who has one hand.
Recalling their initial encounter, Colleen said:
It took a minute for him to realize, ‘Wow, we’ve got the same arms,’ and then he just giggled. You could see it hit him, and then they were best friends after that.
Speaking to Today, Miles explained how the Picketts never allowed their daughter to use the phrase ‘I can’t’.
He added:
Carson believes she can do anything, and that is the mindset we want Joseph to have as well.
Colleen told Today her son is a natural athlete, saying:
Football, basketball, baseball, soccer, he does it all. He maneuvers his arm a little bit differently, but he makes it work.
She went on to explain how the youngster has come up with an amusing story about why he doesn’t have a hand, reportedly telling other kids he ‘bit his arm off’.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 2,250 babies with limb defects are born in the United States each year; 1,500 with upper limb reductions and 750 with lower limb reductions.
The cause of limb reduction defects is unknown, however research has shown certain behaviours or exposures, such as to certain chemicals or medications, during pregnancy can increase the risk of having a baby with a limb reduction defect.
Potential treatments include prosthetics, orthotics, surgery and physical or occupational therapy but as Carson and Joseph prove every day it’s perfectly possible to achieve great things with a limb reduction defect.
If you have a story you want to tell, send it to story@unilad.com.
Emily Brown first began delivering important news stories aged just 13, when she launched her career with a paper round. She graduated with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University, and went on to become a freelance writer and blogger. Emily contributed to The Sunday Times Travel Magazine and Student Problems before becoming a journalist at UNILAD, where she works on breaking news as well as longer form features.