Alli in her Allard AFOs
Anesa Hughes wanted to share this story with our Get Back UP Today community. It’s about her twin sister, Alli, whom she recently asked to be her maid of honor due to their strong bond and inseparable love. Read on to learn of Anesa’s fiancé’s additional surprise!
My sister and I were born just a bit over 3 months early. Alli quit breathing for a time and, as a result, has been battling cerebral palsy ever since. She has been in and out of hospitals, had multiple surgeries, countless physical therapy and doctors’ appointments, and the list goes on. Through all of it, she has remained a positive and happy kid, now woman. She is outgoing, loves to travel, and enjoys spending time with her family. You will always find her singing along to her country music or watching her favorite NASCAR driver, Chase Elliot, win his next race, and she is always ready to plan her next trip. She finds so much joy in her life and doesn’t let her situation limit her.
She grew up needing supportive devices to walk, including crutches, walkers and various types of leg braces. We even have acollection of AFOs (ankle-foot-orthoses) and some of them are so tiny from when she was just a toddler! Alli’s orthopedic doctor, whom she has seen on and off for the last 20 years, suggested the AFOs from Allard USA after our mother requested new equipment. Mom noticed that Alli’s legs were getting stiffer, her feet were turning inwards, and her toes were curling. She was seeking a product that would help address this and provide Alli more comfort.
Since getting her ToeOFF®Short AFOs, our mom has noticed that Alli’s feet seem more relaxed and better aligned, and hopes that these continue to correct the way her feet and legs point by keeping them in the correct position. Alli seems to have more confidence when walking now, and no longer fights us to wear them (for the most part anyway 😅). From my fiancé’s and my point of view, they are easier to work with than some of her previous AFOs; they are easier to put on and take off and they fit better in her shoes.
“I have a twin with cerebral palsy. When Ty and I started dating I made it clear that we would always be a package deal. He took his role in her life seriously from the start and made her feel so special. Here is the video of my now-fiancé surprising my sister with her own engagement ring when he asked her to be his sister-in-law; a princess ring for one of his favorite girls!” Video courtesy of ViralHog.
The clip and description were originally posted on TikTok and we are still getting many new views! I do want to add that Alli is very excited for her time as maid of honor and takes her role very seriously.
Alli lives with our parents in rural Virginia. She has tons of pets! Her dog Clo, who has been with the family since his adoption 9 years ago, is a very important part of the family. She also has a cat named Garfield and several horses, Rain, Gypsy, Elvis, and Cherokee. When she’s not at home or traveling on an adventure, Alli attends horse-riding therapy and loves her therapy horses, Colonel and Cat. While Alli has many responsibilities around the house, she definitely thinks that attending all her physical therapy appointments is her main job (which definitely counts in my opinion!)
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