WHO IS SHARKIRA? Hello, my name is Sharkira Hypolite. I am eighteen years old and live on the island of Grenada. I am reaching out to all of you today to share my story and hopefully inspire you to make a donation. Any amount, no matter how big or small, will go a long way in helping achieve a new leg. Your generosity is greatly appreciated. When I was born, much to my parent's surprise, I came into the world with only one and a half legs. But God is so good, that despite my disabilities, my parents loved me unconditionally and did their best to provide for me. Being a kid with a disability was tough. In school, I was bullied by my peers just because I looked different. However, there were a few kids who accepted me and were not embarrassed to be seen playing with me. I can remember at times crying about missing a limb. It didn’t seem fair that all the other children that I knew had two perfect legs, but I didn’t. Although my parents did their best to reassure me that God created me in His image and likeness, it was still hard for me to accept. Eventually, with my parents' constant reassurance and God's help, I was able to accept myself for who I am - perfect just the way God made me - I was able to start living my life as a normal kid. I also realized that I possessed skills that some of my normal friends didn’t possess. Up until the age of 3, I got around mostly by crawling. My parents wanted me to feel as normal as possible, so they enrolled me into pre-primary school (preschool). Not being able to walk made it hard for me to run around with the other children, but nevertheless, I tried to fit in. I can remember my dad carrying me on his back to get me to school. At school, I would get around by either crawling or hopping. When school was out, my dad or my uncle would be there to carry me home. But there were a few occasions when neither was available to get me, so I would hop home, having to make stops to rest because I would get tired and my good leg would hurt from all the hopping.