Hiya everyone!

For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Abbie (Abi) Amsler, and I was born without my lower left hand.

For the first time ever, I’ll be living completely on my own, which is both exciting and a little intimidating. A lot of everyday tasks that might seem simple to most people can be really difficult for me - things like shaving my armpits, zipping jackets, opening jars, carrying groceries inside, or even just doing things that require two hands without having to problem-solve first.

I’ve spent my whole life adapting and figuring things out as I go, and while I’m proud of how independent I’ve become, I’m also really excited at the thought of not having to work twice as hard just to do simple, mundane things.

For the last month and a half, I’ve been working with Mr. Bernard Watson at Hanger Clinic to finalize the measurements and casting for my new prosthetic hand, and it will officially be ready for pickup on June 18!

Unfortunately, as many of us know, health insurance can be incredibly unreliable. What a lot of people don’t realize is that many insurance companies won’t fully cover upper-limb prosthetics. Out-of-pocket costs can range anywhere from $5,000–$25,000.

Two weeks ago, I found out my personal OOP cost will be $7,500, which is actually very lucky.

That said, it’s still a huge financial hurdle, and any support, donations, or even shares would mean the absolute world to me as I take this next step toward independence.

Thank you guys so much for reading, supporting me, and being part of my life.