Little Arms, Big Heart

By Nan Weaver

"Little Arms, Big Heart" presents the amazing life story of Nan Weaver who overcame a disability from birth and lived life to its fullest. The book is packed with inspiring stories from her life, her husband's life, and the lives of her children and grandchildren. As a strong believer she offers words of encouragement and hope to those who face difficulties throughout their lives. She writes with emotion and passion to motivate others to reach beyond their limitations and be an overcomer.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Nov 17, 2010
• ISBN: 9781449705220

Nan Weaver

About the Author Nan Weaver tells her life story in the book "Little Arms, Big Heart." Born with a birth defect in both arms she learned to become an overcomer at an early age and reached beyond her limitations to live life to its fullest. She shares her amazing story to everyone she comes in contact with, especially to those who are going through difficult and disappointing times in their lives. In her own words she states: "My name is Nan Weaver and I was born with a birth defect in both arms. I have triumphed over my disability with my faith in God and a wonderful mother who raised me to be the person that I am today. I married my childhood sweetheart Jimmy Weaver. He overlooked the outward and saw the inward. We have raised three sons and one daughter, the last two being twin boys. We are now blessed with six granddaughters and two grandsons. My purpose in life is to share how God is faithful and to impart to others my life's testimony of being an overcomer. God specializes in setting those free of broken hearts with difficulties in life and bringing encouragement to those who are discouraged. What an awesome God we serve." Nan Weaver is the founder of Little Arms Big Heart Ministries, an exempt 501(c)(3) organization which serves as a vehicle for motivational speaking engagements. Nan and Jimmy are lifelong residents of Pensacola, Florida. Both are active members of Liberty Church where Jimmy serves as an elder, board member, and treasurer.

Book preview

Dedication

This book is dedicated to my mother, Lucille Shell. My mother played a vital role in molding me from childhood into the self-sufficient individual that I am today. I shall always be indebted to her for her sacrificial love and belief that I could function as a normal person. Thank you, Mom, for all of those articles you cut out of magazines and newspapers of girls having no arms who married, raised children, drove cars, ran businesses, and were successful in life.

Acknowledgments

I want to thank Rosemary Pape for giving me the title to my book, Little Arms, Big Heart. As Rosemary Pape, Beth Gehman, and myself were having lunch one day, I said, I do not know what title I should give my book. Rosemary simply said, "Nan, Little Arms, Big Heart." This became the name of not only my book, but that of my ministry as well.

To Pastor Bob and Carol Martz: Thank you for being so supportive of me and believing in me from the very beginning of my ministry and the writing of this book.

My sincere appreciation is extended to the John and Nina Clay Paradiso family for their generous contributions towards the publishing of my book.

Special recognition is given to Bill and Janet Sudduth for helping me to put the final touches on Little Arms, Big Heart. Thank you Bill and Janet for taking time out of your busy schedule to review the manuscript.

Finally, I want to express the utmost gratitude to my husband, Jimmy Weaver, who worked tirelessly for many hours pouring over my writings, making edits, and getting Little Arms, Big Heart into book form for final edit and publication.

INTRODUCTION

My name is Nan Weaver and I was born with a birth defect in both arms. I have triumphed over my disability with my faith in God and a wonderful mother who raised me to be the person that I am today. I married my childhood sweetheart Jimmy Weaver. He overlooked the outward and saw the inward. We have raised three sons and one daughter, the last two being twin boys. We are now blessed with six granddaughters and two grandsons.

My purpose in life is to share how God is faithful and to impart to others my life’s testimony of being an overcomer. God specializes in setting those free of broken hearts with difficulties in life and bringing encouragement to those who are discouraged. What an awesome God we serve.

Contents

Chapter 1: A Call to Triumph

Chapter 2: A Happy Baby

Chapter 3: School Days

Chapter 4: Unforgettable Memories of My Childhood

Chapter 5: Visitor in the Chinaberry Tree

Chapter 6: My Husband’s Early Life

Chapter 7: Gideon’s Prayer

Chapter 8: September Wedding Bells

Chapter 9: All My Children

Chapter 10: Our Firstborn - Daniel

Chapter 11: A Daughter Named Betsy

Chapter 12: Twins

Chapter 13: Daniel’s Military Achievements as a Navy SEAL

Chapter 14: Cloudy Days

Chapter 15: Confidence

Chapter 16: Playing It Safe or Risking It All

Chapter 17: Reaching Beyond Our Limitations

Chapter 18: The Joy of My Life—My Eight Grandchildren

Chapter 19: Never Wanted This to Happen

Chapter 20: You Never Know What God Has for You Next

Chapter 21: I Have Been Blessed

Foreword

I am Nan’s mother, and what a joy she has been to me and my family.

I was devastated when the doctor came into my room and said I had a beautiful baby daughter, but she had a birth defect in both arms. I tried to treat her just like my other two children who were born normal. I did not want her to feel any different. She has been able to do anything she sets her mind to. Nan has amazed everyone by raising four beautiful children, including twin sons.

—Lucille Shell

I am Betsy, Nan’s daughter.

If you could look past the physical challenges of Nan Weaver, here is what you would see. A woman who honors her Creator and praises Him because she was fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14). A suitable helper to my father, committed to her marriage, serving him to the best of her abilities. Last, but much more, a loving mother of four children, nurtured by caring hands and a big heart.

My mother will encourage you and challenge you to go beyond your difficult circumstances and live life to its fullest. She is full of humor and wit; and as you listen, your heart will be lightened with the joy of the Lord. I am so proud of my mom, Nan Weaver. She is truly an inspiration to all she meets.

—Betsy Liechty

I am Jimmy, Nan’s husband.

When God gave me Nan, it was the greatest gift any man could ever dream or hope for in a wife. Over the years, she has been by my side to comfort me, to encourage me, to build confidence in me, and to help me reach out and be all that I could be in life. As you read Little Arms, Big Heart, you, too, will be inspired and encouraged to reach your full potential in life, regardless of the barriers that stand in your way.

—Jimmy Weaver

CHAPTER ONE

A Call to Triumph

This is my story: a life filled with excitement and triumph that just as easily could have been uneventful and burdensome.

I am a war baby. I was born at Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola, Florida, on May 10, 1944, to Kyler Epharim and Lucille Marie Malone. My entrance into the world was marked by troublesome times. This was the time Allied Forces were preparing for D- Day—the Allied landing in Normandy, France, that took place on June 6, 1944. My mother knew something was wrong, because I was left in the nursery until the next day. Mother kept asking the nurses, Where is my baby? Why haven’t you brought her to me? The nurses kept brushing her off, saying, Oh, she’s sleeping, or You’ll be able to see her soon. The doctor and hospital staff were buying time in order to make arrangements to have both parents together before releasing the report. Daddy was in the army during World War II and had been assigned to Hattiesburg, Mississippi, for training. After being contacted by the family, Daddy quickly drove home to Pensacola, arriving at the hospital during the afternoon of the following day.

Finally the inevitable happened. The nurse stepped into the maternity room and advised Mother and Daddy that the doctor wanted to talk to them. Mother began to cry, sensing something terrible was wrong. Dr. Born, without a smile, abruptly entered Mother’s room and released the report. Mr. and Mrs. Malone, you have a beautiful daughter, but I’m sorry to tell you that she has major birth defects in both arms. He turned around and walked out just as quickly as he came in. It must have been very difficult for him to release that report. How easy it is to share the good news: Congratulations, you have a beautiful, healthy, seven pound girl! with a big smile. What can you say to a mother and father whose daughter’s left arm is half the length of a normal child’s, with three fingers, and the right arm is only a few inches long with two fingers?

The attending nurse brought me to my mother and father for the first time. What should have been a time of happiness and joy turned into agonizing moments for my family. Needless to say, my parents were devastated. After seeing me for the first time, Mother was given a sedative to help her through the duress she was experiencing. After the shock wore off, they realized that they had a beautiful little baby girl with a head of curly black hair.

They began to wonder what the future would hold for her. Most of my mother’s younger life was very restricted by caring for her invalid brother. Now on her own, happily married, and the mother of a perfectly healthy son, Mother could hope for a better life ahead. Having a child with a birth defect had reversed that dream and dealt her a crushing blow. Will she be a helpless child, too? Will she be able to feed herself, dress herself, and be able to go to school like other boys and girls, or even write? What does the future hold for her? There were many unanswered questions and only time would tell. The advice the doctors gave to my mom and dad upon taking me home was to treat me as normally as they could, for there was nothing that they could do. Mother and Daddy braced themselves to make the best of the situation and to do all they could for me. They accepted my birth defect as a call to triumph over the difficult tasks that lay ahead.

CHAPTER TWO

A Happy Baby

The first several months after they brought me home, Mom wrote many doctors throughout the United States, seeking advice on what could be done with my birth defect, if anything. In her letters, she included a baby picture showing my deformity. There were a number of responses from doctors. The following are response letters from three of the many doctors she contacted:

1. Letter from Dr. Vilray Blair – St. Louis, Missouri:

October 14, 1944

My dear Mrs. Malone:

I am in receipt of your letter and the picture of your baby which I have examined.

It seems to me that if the full length left arm that is fixed in the straight position were, at some future time—within the next few years—brought to a right angle and fixed in that position, it would be tremendously more useful to her. I do not believe anything more than that could be profitably accomplished by surgery. Some adjustment might be made of the fingers if necessary.

Also, I believe you might expect some further growth of the right arm that will bring the hand down to a usable position.

I hope the above will be of some little help to you.

Very sincerely yours,

V. P. Blair

2. Letter from Dr. Lawson Thornton – Atlanta, Georgia:

January 30, 1945

Dear Mrs. Malone:

I have your recent letter about your baby and at the present time would not do anything. Just go ahead and let her develop and grow as she is, and at sometime when she is much older would be soon enough to consider the advisability of doing some plastic work to improve the function.

Would be glad to be helpful in any way I can, but am quite sure this is all that should be done now.

With kind regards I am

Sincerely yours,

Lawson Thornton, M.D.

3. Letter from Dr. J. H. Kite – Atlanta, Georgia:

February 1, 1945

Dear Mrs. Malone:

Your letter received and I am sorry to hear about your baby being born with a deformity of both arms.

I see a good many children who are born with deformities and as a rule there is not a great deal that can be done. There is nothing that can be done to replace the missing parts but sometimes the fingers or wrist are crooked and need straightening, but if the parts she has are in the normal position, the chances are there is not much to do.

Should you come to Atlanta, I will be glad to examine your baby and tell you what can be done.

Sincerely yours,

J. H. Kite, M.D.

After receiving response letters from all over the country, Mom came to the conclusion that there was not much that medical doctors could do for me as a baby. She resigned herself to the fact that this is the way it would be, and she would train me and do the best that she could. Let me say this much about my mom: Mother has always been a woman of God, and one who encouraged me through good times and bad times. She never let me give up and was always there for me. The philosophy my mom gave to me early on was to always try something first, and if you could not do it, never be ashamed to ask for help. To this day, that is exactly what I do. For example, if I can’t reach something from the top shelf when I grocery shop, I do not mind asking someone passing by to help me. I have never had anyone refuse to help me. In fact, they often would comment how high the shelf was for them as well. Her input into my life has brought me to the place where I am today—not forgetting the Lord’s help, for He has given me the strength to go through this journey in life. I truly love my mother and want others to know how much she impacted my life and how she helped me to be the person I am today.

For the next six months, I was a very happy baby. My parents gave me a unique name. I had a granny named Nancy and an aunt named Evelene. They put the two together and came up with Nancelene. So my name became Marie Nancelene Malone and I was given the nickname Nan. When it came time for me to crawl, being that my arms were not suitable for crawling, I just scooted along on my bottom. By the time I began to walk, I was fourteen months old. It took me