Not many children have to make difficult and life-impacting decisions at a young age when they should be playing and enjoying life, but Maddie did. The decision to have a colostomy at age 8 and then to amputate both her legs at age 10 required courage and resolve of this amazing young girl.

Maddie was born in Colorado with Caudal Regression Syndrome/Sacral Agenesis. It meant her spine was not going to develop properly. It’s rare and happens to only about one in every 60,000 children born each year.

What affected her spine also affected her legs. They essentially were stiff and didn’t work at all, causing her life difficulties such as having to stand on long plane flights because her legs would not bend.

Through 79 surgeries and more to come, Maddie has learned to be upbeat and cheery. People ask her, “If you had the opportunity to not have a disability, would you take it? I tell them I wouldn’t. It makes me different and has shaped who I am today, and I like who I am.”

To help with the practical needs, the Courageous Faces Foundation arranged for her to have a mechanical platform lift installed to give her access into and out of her home, as well as a roll-in shower so she could live a more enhanced life and gain valued independence. She calls it freedom. Approaching early adulthood, now she can go out with friends without having them do everything for her. She even jokes around not about her disability, but her different abilities to ease tension and show others it’s OK to talk about them—especially with those in her college classes. She says, “Using humor really gets me through the tough times and shows people not to be afraid of my condition.”