Joseph Tidd was born with a congenital condition that left his left arm not fully formed. His mom, Colleen, joined the Florida chapter of the Lucky Fin Project, a support network for people with limb differences. She loved the sense of community she found in the group and, this past October, she organized an in-person meet-up for members near her home in Orlando.
It was at this event that 15-month-old Joseph met 34-year-old Amy Alamillo Siesel, who has the same limb difference as the toddler. The moment that they met was captured on video, and it’s so sweet. When Siesel, whose right arm is underdeveloped, goes to give the boy a “fist bump,” he goes in for a hug instead when he recognizes their similar arms.
Watch the whole touching interaction in the video posted to Facebook by Colleen:
What a beautiful moment! The video has since gone viral, and has more than 9,000 views.
Siesel says that despite the hardships she’s endured because of her limb difference, it ultimately gave her strength and made her the person she is today.
“I was bullied quite a bit and constantly inundated with questions about my arm,” Siesel told People of dealing with her difference while growing up. “I struggled with insecurity. As I became an adult, however, I gained a newfound confidence in who I felt God made me to be. I began to embrace my limb difference and love the lessons it taught me, hard as some of them were.”
Colleen is so grateful for the positive role models that people like Siesel and others in the group can provide for her son as he grows and matures. Here’s a group shot from the meet-up, posted to her Facebook page:
“I want the world to see that everyone is unique and that my son will be able to do everything,” she told WKMG.