Sophi Green is like many other 7-year-olds–she enjoys painting her nails, going to school, and riding her bike–except she does it all with her feet instead of her hands. Sophi was born without arms–when she was 2, her parents, Christianne and Jeremy Green, adopted her from China.
They quickly realized that her disability wasn’t going to stop her from doing or experiencing anything–Christianne told Barcroft Media:
“I remember when we had just adopted her and we got Sophi her first ice cream cone. I was ready to feed it to her and I held it out and she just snatched it up with her little foot and started eating it all by herself. We were just completely amazed and knew from that point that she could just do anything.”
Besides Sophi, the Greens have adopted seven children and had three biological children. After her adoption, they made some adjustments to their home, such as changing the door knobs to handles so Sophi can open them with her chin.
While Sophi is determined to do the things she loves, it’s sometimes hard for her not to feel down, especially since she faced some adversity when she started school. Because of this, her parents often try to rile up her spirits, and use humor to help her deal with any negativity–Christianne told PEOPLE:
“We’ve taught her to give fun and creative answers if she’s in an uncomfortable situation. One things she gets asked a lot is ‘Why don’t you have arms?’ and sometimes she’ll say, ‘A bear ate them,’ or, ‘A shark ate them,’ and they’ll laugh and it diffuses the situation a bit.
When people make hurtful comments or stare a lot she typically shuts down and there have been a few tears where she has to cuddle up and she’s said, “I just want to be able to do things the same way as other children,’ but as time has gone by she’s gotten more confident and doesn’t let it bother her as much.”
Despite this, Sophi has a lot of friends at her school–she’s also close with her siblings, as she dances while her older brother Connor plays the piano. Sophi is also especially close with her biological sister Lexie, who is blind. Christianne says both Sophi and Lexie help each other:
“They are so cute together. Lexie acts as the arms and Sophi acts as the eyes.”
In the end, however, Sophi has some wise words for anyone who feels discouraged by their struggles, stating:
“Don’t let anyone stop you from doing something you really love.”
Isn’t she just incredible? Watch a video where she and her parents are interviewed below:
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