PHOENIX — Loni Colbert has experienced more in her short lifetime than the average 5-year-old.
Loni was born with amniotic band syndrome (ABS), which created issues with her right arm and caused her left arm to detach completely, according to Phoenix Children's Hospital.
“ABS creates these tight constriction bands around different parts of the body that affects their ability to grow and develop,” said Dr. Timothy Schaub.
Right after she was born, Loni was airlifted to Phoenix Children’s Hospital. There, surgeons reattached her left arm and restored blood flow and some function.
Tauralynn Colbert became Loni's foster mother 8 months later and soon adopted her. However, the girl's surgeries were not over. Soon she learned that ABS disrupted the development of the young girl's thumb.
The solution: Trade a toe to gain a thumb.
"I thought to myself at first, you are going to do what to what?" Colbert said.
Dr. Schaub would take the second toe of Loni’s right foot and make into a thumb for her left-hand.
“It’s a complex surgery from the standpoint you are dealing with very small structures.”
It was a successful surgery, helping Loni dress, ride her scooter, color, and draw.
"It’s all about possibilities," Colbert said "Even if it gives her a little bit more of a shot at doing the things she needs to do for independence, we are going to do it."
The new thumb should grow with Toni's hand. Any future surgery should be cosmetic, according to Dr. Schaub.
“She’s finished pre-K going into kindergarten, she reads, she writes, she draws funny pictures, she’s living life,” Colbert said.
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