Jeremy and Christianne Green of Herriman, Utah, are the parents of 10 children, seven of whom were adopted and have special needs.
The remarkable development of one of those children, Sophi, was recently featured in a major international publication.
Sophi, 7, was born without arms. In an article from the Daily Mail, Sophi shares some of the remarkable talents she has developed. Using just her feet, she can eat with a fork and knife as well as chopsticks; can brush her hair and her teeth; and can write and draw.
The Deseret News featured Sophi and sister Lexi's arrival from China in 2010. According to the article, the Greens had five biological children, two of whom were stillborn. After the loss of their second child, the family began to research adoption. They learned about Elli, a blind girl with cognitive challenges.
"I had this feeling come over me, this motherly feeling toward her," Christianne Green said. "She just kind of had my heart."
After adopting Elli in February 2007, the family began to look for other children who could benefit from their help.
"At the orphanage, these children hold out their arms to you and it becomes real," Christianne Green told the Deseret News. "We found ourselves saying, ‘OK, can we find room for one more?’"
Today the family has adopted a total of seven children — all with special needs and all from China. In addition to Elli, Sophi and Lexi, who is blind, the family includes Graci, who has a serious heart condition; Xander, who has a condition that causes vascular malformations; Connor, who is blind; and Cali, who was born with spina bifida.
In 2012, neighbors and friends decided they wanted to help the family build a new house that could provide more space and accommodate the needs of their children. According to a Deseret News article, the house was completed in August 2013 and includes a sink 18 inches off the floor for Sophi to wash her feet.
In addition to daily activities, Sophi loves to dance, but this too comes with challenges. Sophi was born without the fibula bone in her right leg, which makes the leg weak and difficult to balance with. Without arms, walking and dancing can be dangerous activities, but she doesn't let that stop her.
"Don't let anyone stop you from doing something you really love," Sophi told the Daily Mail.
Sophi hopes that her determination to overcome the obstacles she faces will inspire others with and without disabilities. Her parents have observed what Sophi can do and are amazed.
"I remember when we had just adopted her and we got Sophi her first ice cream cone," Christianne told the Daily Mail. "I was ready to feed it to her and I held it out and she just snatched it up with her little foot and started eating it all by herself. We were just completely amazed and knew from that point that she could just do anything."