NEW HAVEN--One New Haven teenager is physically challenged, but courageous and determined to move forward with her life.
Zoe Hernandez was born without arms or legs, which is also known as Tetra-Amelia Syndrome, a rare disorder most children die from shortly after birth. Zoe admits, getting this far hasn't been easy. “It’s hard. It's really hard,” said Zoe.
Zoe is excelling academically and consistently ranks at the top of her class. While she’s a standout in the classroom, Zoe tells Fox CT she just wants to fit in. “Even though my brain is working fine, I don't want people to see me like, oh, she's disabled. She don't know nothing,” said a teary-eyed Zoe.
However, the 16-year-old continues to thrive, thanks in part to technology. She can do seemingly everything from her wheelchair: homework assignments, texting with her friends and even adjusting the thermostat in her house.
Zoe's mom, Aysha Hernandez, says that like any teen, her daughter wants to be independent. “She wants her freedom and lets us know that very much,” said Hernandez.
Additionally, like every teenager, Zoe now wants a car. In her case, a brand new van.
She's part of an online contest, competing against hundreds of people across the country with disabilities. The contest is sponsored by the National Mobility Equipment Dealers Association. You can vote by clicking here. The person with the most votes will win a wheelchair-accessible van, which would allow Zoe to stay in her chair.
"We already have a van, but it's difficult for us,” said Zoe. Currently, Zoe says her mom has to take her out of the chair, then collapse it, while her brother loads it into the van.
Since this process is so laborious at times, Zoe ends up getting left behind. “If you do that numerous times a day, it's really hard,” said Zoe.
For that reason, Zoe and her family are checking the contest site multiple times every day, hoping to get this much-needed help.
So what's next for the teenager? Zoe wants to be able to help others in the future as a meteorologist.
Several Connecticut businesses are also helping spread the word about Zoe and the contest, which ends May 31.
