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9-year-old girl born without hands wins best handwriting award
Anaya Ellick is just a third-grader in Chesapeake area of Virginia, but has won the prestigious award after she won one in 2016 in the print category of the same contest.
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According to reports, Anaya Ellick is just a third-grader in Chesapeake area of Virginia, but has won the prestigious award after she won one in 2016 in the print category of the same contest.
At a well-attended ceremony on Thursday, April 26, Anaya Ellick was pronounced winner of the 2018 Nicholas Maxim Award which forms part of the 2018 Zaner-Bloser National Handwriting Contest.
The little girl was found deserving of the exceptional award due to how she is able to hold a pencil in-between her handless arms to write not only in a legible manner, but also draws beautifully.
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The award was initiated with the aim of recognising students with special-needs who have developed an exceptional skill in handwriting, and Anaya has proven beyond doubt that she is able to write and draw awesomely without even artificial hand.
As expected everyone will surely be proud of such a brilliant child as Anaya. A third-grade teacher, Sara Cannaday is quoted as saying she “is a role model to everyone.”
Anaya herself told news men: “I was happy and I thought my mom was joking when she said I won again.”
Yes, teachers and colleagues might be happy for the little girl, but the ones who should be the happiest are her parents.
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Bianca Middleton, her mother is also quoted as having said: “I’m proud because it encourages her. For her to see that hard work does pay off.”
Also participating in the celebration of the award was her father, Gary Ellick who said: “She’s really independent – from tying shoes, putting clothes, getting baths. It’s was always like, ‘I can do it.”
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