Camden Whiddon’s parents didn’t think he’d ever have a chance to live a “normal” life when he was born. He’s proving to everyone that he’s ready to take on the world four years later.
Camden was born with amelia-phocomelia, a disorder that left him without arms or legs. Katie Whiddon of Denton, Texas, was 18 weeks pregnant when she learned of his illness and worried that she wouldn’t be able to care for the baby because of his particular demands. Would he ever be able to do things like walk, throw a ball, or make friends like other kids?
The answer to all of those questions, it turns out, is a loud yes.
“When I first found out he wouldn’t have arms or legs, I thought that he would just be a vegetable … I didn’t know what to expect,” Katie said. “I had just turned 19 and I didn’t know, ‘Am I gonna be able to be good enough for him?’”
By the time Camden was two months old, he was already surprising the family with his progress. “I saw him out the corner of my eye and he was hitting the toys with his arms. I started to cry, I was just so happy and that confirmed that he was gonna be able to do things,” she said.
Camden continues to excel, achieving milestone after milestone and astonishing everyone with his “can-do” attitude and friendly demeanor.
Camden has now accomplished something absolutely remarkable for a person born without legs: he has begun to walk!
“I’m coming to you!” Camden says in the video his mother took of the big moment. “I’m walking!”
As he rushes into the waiting arms of Whiddon’s boyfriend, Cole Greene, his little sister Ryleigh cheers him on.
In the video, you can hear Camden excitedly saying that he’s “walking like Nick.” He’s referring to motivational speaker and author Nick Vujicic, who was born with a similar condition. Camden had a chance to meet Nick in 2017, and the entire family was encouraged and inspired by how much he’s accomplished in his life — all without arms or legs.
Now that Camden is officially walking, who knows what challenges he’ll tackle next.
“We started crying, we were so proud,” Katie said. “I didn’t know when that day would come. I didn’t think he was ready for it yet and I was just so shocked and happy. It was so exciting and Ryleigh was over there jumping, excited.”
Something tells us Camden will continue to astound the world with his achievements. His family, who knows him best, believes it’ll only be a matter of time before he can assist everyone comprehends what it’s like to live with a disability.
“Call it mother’s intuition, but I think he’s going to be one of those motivational speakers, and now that he’s gotten the exposure, he’ll have a platform so that when he’s ready to speak for himself, he’ll have people who want to listen to him and care about what he has to say.”
The sky’s the limit, Camden!
