A toddler born without limbs isn't letting that stop him from helping his mum care for his baby brother. A video shared by their mum Katie Whiddon shows 3-year-old Camden soothing baby Jaxton by putting his dummy back in his mouth.
Camden was born with a condition called phocomelia syndrome, a congenital disorder that affects the formation of limbs. He was born with no legs, and with arms that end around where his elbows would be.
The video shows Jaxton getting restless and beginning to grizzle after he loses his dummy. Big sister Ryleigh, 2, is sitting next to the baby, and mum Katie says that she'll get the dummy but Camden is determined to help out, using one arm and his face to grab the dummy and put it back into Jaxton's mouth. After a moment of protect, Jaxton accepts the dummy and resumes contentedly sucking on it.
Katie told the Daily Mail that Camden is always helping care for Jaxton. "Camden is always right there to give him his pacifier and wipe the spit up off his mouth," she said.
"This time Jaxton was crying and I said out loud to him that I was getting his pacifier. Then Camden said, 'I've got it, Mummy!' So I grabbed my phone and ran over there to capture the moment.
"This is an everyday thing for us, but I thought our friends and family would like to see it," Katie said.
Katie fell pregnant with Camden when she was 18, and did everything an expectant mother should do to keep healthy. It wasn't until she went for her 18-week ultrasound she learned her baby was suffering from some defects.
"When the doctor told me the news, I went immediately numb inside," Katie wrote on her blog Admirably Diverse. "I laid there while the ultrasound technician cleaned off my belly. While I was laying there, reality hit me right in the heart. I started bawling my eyes out."
Soon after Camden was born, he began to show he was determined to thrive despite his differences.
"I know that most people look at Camden and think, poor child," said Katie, "But when he gets comfortable with his surroundings and starts doing things on his own, everyone gathers around to watch!"
Katie said people are often amazed at just how able Camden is. "He's awesome and can do so many things you'd never believe unless you've seen it with your own eyes," she said.