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 Most people don’t expect children and teens to freely part with their allowances or money earned from their jobs if it isn’t for some new gadget, movie or fashionable item of clothing. So when a young person does make a donation to a charitable organization, it stands out.
Meet Jessica Nesin, a 15-year-old tenth grader who gave a gift of $18 toward the Amputee Coalition’s parity campaign. Eighteen is a spiritual number for many Jews, including Nesin, and is connected to the word “Chai,” a Hebrew symbol and word that means “Life.” For this reason, Nesin’s gift takes on new significance.
Nesin has been a member of the Amputee Coalition since meeting Paddy Rossbach, former Amputee Coalition president and CEO, who helped her and her family through some tough times. “I will always be grateful for her help,” says Nesin.
Nesin, born with PFFD (Proximal Femoral Focal Deficiency) and a Symes amputee as of 18 months, acknowledges her good fortune to have been covered by her mother’s insurance, which has never denied her a leg as she has grown up. But Nesin knows that many other children cannot get the prosthetic devices they need to live normal lives. This is why Nesin’s family has donated all of her outgrown prosthetic legs to Limbs for Life, an organization that provides prosthetic limbs to children whose parents do not have insurance or can’t otherwise afford them.
“I have never had to settle for anything. I am very fortunate because I know that this is not true for a lot of people,” says Nesin. “In fact, I finally had a C-leg made a couple of years ago when I finished growing, and the insurance covered everything.”
Being an amputee has not stopped Nesin from enjoying life with her family and friends.
From swimming to snow skiing, to playing violin and piano, Jessica participates in numerous activities. Nesin attends Mannes College in Manhattan every Saturday, where she studies music in the preparatory division, and she recently returned from a month at the Lake Luzerne Music Center in upstate New York, where she participated in chamber music. One day she hopes to become a music educator. “I use the piano pedals with a prosthetic leg, even though it can be a challenge at times,” she says.
“Being an amputee has not stopped me from doing the things I truly want to do,” says Nesin, who attributes her can-do attitude to her parents and their support for her. In February, Nesin had to face the greatest challenge of her life when her father passed away, whom she misses terribly. “He taught me to be sensitive to the needs of others, especially those less fortunate,” says Nesin. “I hope to continue to advocate for the people who need help especially those who are physically challenged.”
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