Hi!  My name's Enriquesa.  Enriquesa Maria Elena Sandusky. I am nine years old now; I love my life.

I love my family.  I have a very big family; it's the only family I've known.  I was adopted when I was a baby; I was born in Guatemala.

I was born handicapped.  I was born without arms or legs. In addition, I was born a little person.  I will never be tall, even when I get to be a grown-up.  At the age of nine I look more like four or five:  I am very tiny for my age.

People ask me how I can do things without arms or legs.  I have prosthetic limbs to help me.  I have legs that I can slide myself into, and when I'm all buckled in and put myself together, I can walk.  I have a wheeled walker to help me get around better.  (My balance isn't good; that's why I use the walker.) 

I also wear "hooks", which serve as my hands.  With these "hooks" I can write, draw, paint, button my shirts, get dressed, even cook.  I am very good with my hooks.

I have a very happy life.  Every Sunday my family and I go to church.  I sing in the children's choir, and I love telling other people about Jesus, what He's done for me.

I love to do many things:  paint, draw, write stories or poems, read (I like the Junie P. Jones books the best; I also love the "Little House on the Prairie" books), sing, watch "America's Got Talent" and "American Idol" on television, and dance.  Don't tell me I can't dance because I'm disabled: I can dance, and I dance very well!

When I get older, I want to be many different things.  I want to be a singer, a dancer, an actress, a lady preacher, a writer of books, a veterinarian, or a teacher. 

Can't decide which I want to be just yet.  LOL

In the summer, I sometimes perform with my family.  We have our own band; we play country, Cajun, gospel music.  It's a lot of fun.  In the band, I sing backup, and I also play the marimba.  I've been playing the marimba since I was six, and I'm very good at it, too. :)

Well, I have to go now.  We're getting ready to go to the zoo today.  It's "Kids with Special Needs Day" there; all kids with disabilities get in free.  I like that:  don't have to pay even a penny to get in, and the zoo people won't get mad! LOL  I can't wait; I love looking at the cheetahs!

Our zoo has some new baby cheetahs that recently made their first appearance.  I bet they're cute; the cheetahs are my absolute favorites! :)

Bye for now; will write in here again soon! God bless!

~Love, your friend, Enriquesa Sandusky, aged 9. :D