CHARLOTTE, N.C. — At 11 years old, you might not know what you want to do with the rest of your life, but Hannah Rue definitely does.
While she might not look like all the kids around her, Hannah’s goal is to inspire others to reach for their dreams. The dancer is making a difference and motivating others along the way.
"I would want people to know that even though I look different, and I seem a lot different than other people, I'm just like you," Hannah Rue said.
Her mom, Katie, said her daughter was born missing both of her legs, as well as part of one arm.
"When we first found out, it was a big shock," Katie said. "But we had the whole pregnancy to kind of go through all those emotions."
Dancer inspires others
Once Hannah was born, the family never looked back.
"We didn't think anything was going to stop her," Katie said.
With the love and support from her family, Hannah took off. From baseball to soccer, gymnastics, and cheer, Hannah did it all. But dance became her passion.
"I feel like dance is like a stress reliever," Hannah said. "Sometimes after school, I'll have a stressful day. And then I'll come to dance at night and just let all my feelings and emotions out. I forget about everything around me, and I'm just like, in the moment."
Hannah said she feels at home inside Steps N Motion Dance Studio.
"I'll just like imagine me, like almost like in the future just like dancing on stage or something," she said. "And I want to be an amazing dancer."
Hannah’s mom said when they first called Steps, they weren’t sure how it would all play out.
"When we first called up and let them know about her, we kind of didn't say a whole lot because we're like, 'She's very independent,'" Katie explained. "This is her body. But she's independent and has prosthetics, and we'll just kind of see where it goes."
When Hannah joined new classes, she was fine with questions from the other kids.
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"Everyone's curious. People haven't seen me before, so I just want everyone to know that I'm fine," Hannah said. "Talking about my body doesn't make me uncomfortable or anything. I accept all questions."
Hannah is working on walking in her full-leg prosthetics as well, but for now, she’s comfortable just like this.
"She's definitely in her element when she's on stage," Katie added. "When she's dancing, she's in her own world. And I can see her just dance away everyday stresses of the world."
"Own who you are," Hannah added. "It doesn't matter if you're different or not. And I know sometimes things can be hard because it's like life can be completely different. But just don't let that bring you down and always remember that you're different and it’s fine. It's perfect. Perfectly fine."
Hannah encourages us all to embrace what makes us unique, pursuing your passions along the way.
Contact Sarah French at Sarah@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook and Twitter and Instagram.
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