In spring 2017 I was fitted for the coolest, most advanced robotic technology on the market. There are sensors which are programed to read my muscle movements, there are light weight batteries to last all day, there's a perfectly constructed robotic hand made to move just like a normal hand should move.... I am an ambassador for Coapt and it now is my job to learn how to live life with a bionic hand. I have no interest in a publicity stunt. I actively WANT to learn how to use this hand in a daily context. SCIENCE HAS FINALLY MADE THAT A POSSIBILITY!!! So it should be all roses, rainbows, and cherries to learn how to use a top of the line device. BUT GUYS MY MUSCLES HURT CONSTANTLY. I AM RELEARNING HOW TO DO EVERYTHING. IT IS WILDLY FRUSTRATING 90% OF THE TIME.
So this is my "coming out" post. My post to tell you that I am trying but it's hard. I have lived without a left hand for 27 years and regardless of the top of line tech, my body is readjusting. I am not a pro at it yet....but journey with me as I get the hang of it? I promise to be real all of the time.
Nicole adds, "Yes, this technology is amazing. Yes, I am committed to learning how to use it. Yes, this is the future. Yes, the hype is real. Yes, it is hard. *Important note* Gracie Lou Freebush the cat was in the direct line of fire of this falling bottle. That is why my and my roommate's reaction is so golden. ( Kitty Bath time!)"
Nicole Kelly stepped into the roll of public figure after winning the 2013 title of Miss Iowa and going on to compete at the 2014 Miss America Pageant. She gained attention for being one of only a few competitors to have ever competed with a physical disability. After working for a year as Miss Iowa and traveling across the country to advocate for those living with a disability, she signed with a professional speaking agent and started her own business: Nicole G. Kelly, LLC. Nicole has proudly spoken at hundreds of K-12 schools schools, given educational lectures at universities across the country, and served as the emcee at the Kennedy Center's celebration for the 25th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
It is Nicole's mission to educate as many people as possible about those living with a physical difference. Nicole is a proud ambassador for CoApt, an advanced control solution designed to enhance the functionality of a powered myoelectric prosthesis for those with upper limb loss or limb difference.
This summer Nicole completed her masters degree in broadcast journalism at Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism.
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