“When I was young, I tried my best to look on the brighter side, yet, there’s a part of me that wants to belong,” she croons in her single, Unlimited off her EP smartly titled, Unlimbted. She goes further to sing, “God bless the child who doesn’t give in.” These lyrics epitomize her reality.
Born Marsha Elle, the singer hasn’t always been so brazen. Her leg was amputated shortly after she was born due to a defect known as proximal femoral focal deficiency (PFFD), a rare birth defect in which the femur bone in the upper thigh area is either malformed or missing, causing one leg to be shorter than the other. As a result, as a young girl Elle faced insecurities and bullying.
“As a child I was quite bashful and insecure,’ Marsha tells Metro.
“I would wear baggy clothes to cover up my leg to avoid mean comments and stares.” Her turning point would come when she visited an amputee camp at the age of 16.
“Amputee camp really helped me to accept myself… I went to camp and met other amputees like myself. It was amazing – I did not feel alone. From then on, I vowed to embrace my body and help others do the same.”
Ever since then, the singer has gotten busy trying to keep that promise and judging from her photos on Instagram, which are so symbolic of power, beauty and strength, we can see she is doing just great.
Essence reports that not only has there been a favorable response to the singer-songwriter among the fellow amputee community for boldly facing her fears and insecurities, but celebrities have also taken notice of her. Actress, Jada Pinkett Smith recently reposted an image of Elle with this simple caption: “Beauty.”
With all the love she gets and her instagram racking up over 19,000 followers, she admits that she still gets some hate.
‘As an adult I learned to really embrace my amputation. I read some comments on social media but there are really mean people out there who just want attention. I will not give in to that.’
We love that she is so sure of her fierceness and she’s making us want to be fierce too. “No matter what, own your throne.” I feel like she personifies this statement. Not only is she such a delight to look at and derive hope from, her EP is also super awesome. To listen to the tracks, click here.
You better werk Miss Marsha!
Photo Credit: Instagram | Marshaellemusic
