Quadruple amputee plans to dance at April wedding

Merlyna Adams lost her hands and legs below the knees in 2008 after a kidney stone blockage a year earlier caused an infection to spread throughout her body, resulting in septic shock...

TheGrio Staff

Feb 28, 2011

From Ebony

Merlyna Adams lost her hands and legs below the knees in 2008 after a kidney stone blockage a year earlier caused an infection to spread throughout her body, resulting in septic shock. As if that wasn’t enough, the New Orleans elementary school principal nearly died the first 24 hours of her stay following the discovery of septic shock.

Adams, 45, could focus on what she’s lost. Instead, she’s focused on what she has left. After her traumatic setbacks, the LaPlace, La., resident was determined to return to her job. Defying the odds, in 2009 she resumed leadership of 650 students and a faculty of more than 100 at St. Rose Elementary. Now, she is looking forward to walking down the aisle in April and even doing the Cupid Shuffle on the dance floor—not much to ask of a woman who returned last year during the first day of faculty in-service dressed like Michael Jackson.

“I’ll do whatever it takes to get [faculty] hyped up to help kids,” says Adams. “Each year I return to school with a theme to get people motivated. I had on the “Beat It” jacket, sequined gloves and socks and rolled-up pants. I tried to moonwalk. It’s not as good as it used to be, but they liked it.”

Her prosthetic hands will adorn her wedding ring and carry her bouquet. “I want to show people who are afraid to get or who are leery of prosthetics that with them, your quality of life can be what it was before. It may not be perfect, but [it can be] close to what it was…”