She took me to a clinic the next morning because one crutch had been adjusted incorrectly and the skin beneath my arm was raw.

She found a disability advocate.

Helped me apply for assistance.

Eventually helped me obtain my first properly fitted prosthetic.

Then, when I was eighteen and applying for a small student loan, I learned something worse.

The loan officer stared at his screen.

“Do you know about these accounts?”

“What accounts?”