Different Makes us Human w/ Alyssa Cleland

Alyssa was born in Ukraine, & then adopted at the age of 4, where she moved to the US to be with her new family. She has a rare condition (1 in 1,000,000) called Paraxial Tibial Hemimelia which caused her right tibia (large, lower leg bone; aka “shin”) to not develop. Because of this, she had to have her right lower leg amputated so she could wear prosthetics & walk. Coupled with PTH, she also has Ectrodactyly, which caused her to only have 4 four fingers on each hand, with the middle finger being the missing digit. Ectrodactyly is often seen with PTH but can also come alone, & in many different variations/severities.  Aside from para-dressage, she leads a very normal life. Social media is her full-time job, where she works to bridge the gap between two leggers & amputees. Alyssa started her journey on social media over 4 years ago, sharing about the everyday struggles that an amputee goes through to live a normal life. Being authentic is the number one goal, & being able to share the good & bad times that come with life, & a disability has been at the forefront of her social media platform.

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