Hello and Welcome!

I am Melissa; 34 year old mother of 4 and born with Poland Syndrome.

You are here, I suspect, because you either have Poland Syndrome, your child does, someone you know does, or you are interested in the topic of birth defects in general.  If you fall outside of one of these categories, a very special welcome to you.

I have Poland Syndrome on my right side. My hand was born with the middle three fingers webbed – as an infant I underwent surgery to maximize functionality. Starting at age 16 I have also undergone a number of reconstructive surgeries to correct that aspect of the condition.

Growing up I had a wide range of emotions and thoughts about this affliction. Despite putting on a strong outward demeanor, fooling everyone, life was plagued by tremendous insecurity.

If you are here today struggling, please know you are not alone!

If you are here as a parent, kudos to you for seeking out resources to help your child.  My hope is that you will learn some things both from posts on the blog.  Please do not discount the possibility that your strong child is greatly struggling – it can be a very private battle, and as children they may not be capable of articulating some of their struggles.

If you are looking for resources to help you navigate life with PS, head to the resources page.  There you will find links with additional information about Poland Syndrome, a list of other support groups, and for the ladies there are recommendations on where to find the proper undergarment.  The resources section is constantly in flux as I am always on the lookout for resources to add.

I would love to hear from you so please comment on the blog or send me an email polandsyndromemelissa @ gmail dot com. Type in Poland Syndrome as the subject so your email doesn’t get sent to my spam folder. =)

I appreciate you.  And please know, you are NOT alone!

Hello and Welcome!

I am Melissa; 34 year old mother of 4 and born with Poland Syndrome.

You are here, I suspect, because you either have Poland Syndrome, your child does, someone you know does, or you are interested in the topic of birth defects in general.  If you fall outside of one of these categories, a very special welcome to you.

I have Poland Syndrome on my right side. My hand was born with the middle three fingers webbed – as an infant I underwent surgery to maximize functionality. Starting at age 16 I have also undergone a number of reconstructive surgeries to correct that aspect of the condition.

Growing up I had a wide range of emotions and thoughts about this affliction. Despite putting on a strong outward demeanor, fooling everyone, life was plagued by tremendous insecurity.

If you are here today struggling, please know you are not alone!

If you are here as a parent, kudos to you for seeking out resources to help your child.  My hope is that you will learn some things both from posts on the blog.  Please do not discount the possibility that your strong child is greatly struggling – it can be a very private battle, and as children they may not be capable of articulating some of their struggles.

If you are looking for resources to help you navigate life with PS, head to the resources page.  There you will find links with additional information about Poland Syndrome, a list of other support groups, and for the ladies there are recommendations on where to find the proper undergarment.  The resources section is constantly in flux as I am always on the lookout for resources to add.

I would love to hear from you so please comment on the blog or send me an email polandsyndromemelissa @ gmail dot com. Type in Poland Syndrome as the subject so your email doesn’t get sent to my spam folder. =)

I appreciate you.  And please know, you are NOT alone!