The family of a baby boy born without a lower left arm has been deeply touched by the outpouring of support they have received.
Parents of 10-month-old Arthur Roberts from Anglesey aim to raise awareness and show their son he is not alone.
Elliw Williams and Ilan Roberts, both 25, recently hosted an event for individuals with limb differences at Parc Glynllifon country park in Gwynedd. Over 30 people attended the gathering, much to the couple’s delight.
“Arthur is so young, and we don’t know what’s ahead of us, but having so many local people experiencing something similar is amazing,” said his father.
Arthur’s mother added, “It’s wonderful to see everyone here supporting us. North Wales needs more events like this.”
Lois Jones, whose son Alun was born without his right arm below the elbow, attended the event after seeing a social media post.
“We have participated in events hosted by charities before, but they’re almost always in England,” said Ms. Jones from Llanllyfni, Gwynedd. “For Alun, whose first language is Welsh, it can be hard to interact with the children there. So, having an opportunity like this to mix with other children like him through Welsh is just amazing.”
The event was supported by LimbBo, a charity based in Barnsley, Yorkshire, which supports children with limb differences and their families.
Adam and Katie Dengel founded LimbBo after discovering their son Tommy would be born with a limb difference.
Ms. Dengel shared, “At an early scan, we were told Tommy would be born without his right arm. We were quickly ushered into a room and informed about the limited time for a termination. We knew we would never choose that, and we felt there was a lack of support. There is nothing wrong with these children.”
Since its establishment in 2018, LimbBo’s annual camp attendance in Barnsley has grown from about 20 to over 600.
For Tommy, playing with children like him has been beneficial. “People rarely get the chance to meet others with missing limbs, so it’s great to make new friends and support each other,” he said.
Arthur’s parents hope to organize another gathering soon and expand the support group in North Wales.
“To make this an annual event, or even more frequent, would be brilliant,” said his mother. “For Arthur to have regular opportunities to play with other children like him would be amazing.”
