There’s An Incredible Reason Why This Photo Of Strangers Hugging Has Gone

According to Nicole Pelletiere of ABC News, hugging is extremely important to Cox.

This hug was significant not just because RE and her mother, Karlyn, had driven six hours to the event, but because RE, like Cox, was also born without arms. It was the first time Cox had met anyone who looked like her, who was completely independent and doing all the things that Cox had been told a person needed arms to do.

“It’s been very inspirational to me that she has come as far as she has to overcome her disability – and my daughter has always said, especially lately, ‘I want arms, I want arms, ‘” Karlyn says.

As Karlyn discovered, Jessica is a “public speaker, a pilot, a third-degree black belt, and an advocate for people with disabilities”, per ABC News.

Jessica Cox is the world’s first and only armless pilot and motivational speaker. Cox called it “a wild moment” when she showed RE the plane.

Meeting your hero can be pretty incredible, just ask 3-year-old Ruth Evelyn Pranke.

Cox was also captured signing a poster with an inspiring message for Pranke, who sat next to her watching as she wrote with her right foot. ‘That picture clearly showed that you don’t need arms to embrace someone. The pilot was surprised the mom and daughter drove all the way to meet her. “They wanted to meet me, hear my story, and show RE that she’s not the only one”, Cox said. “You adapt to what you are given”.

For anyone who thinks disabilities are a social hindrance, Cox is proof that such thinking is flawed. “It’s that feeling of ‘Oh, I’m going to be OK”.

“When I meet a child without arms, it feels like I’m giving back”, Jessica told ABC News.

The Right Footed documentary Facebook page shared a series of photos from the pair’s meeting which will completely melt your heart. “Your right-footed friend” while the three-year-old watched in fascination.

In a handsome video, the two are seen sitting side by side as Jessica, using her foot, writes on a movie poster saying, “RE, You can do anything!”