A toddler born without legs or hands has melted hearts on social media by climbing a slide all by himself.
In a video shared by his 22-year-old mother Katie Whiddon, three-year-old Camden shows the world that he doesn’t let his disability get in the way of him doing what other children do.
The sweet moment sees Camden manage to climb the steps of the slide and hurl himself down. It has gone viral since it was posted on Facebook.
Social media users praised the boy’s determination and his family for encouraging his independence.
One wrote: ‘Thanks for sharing and many blessings to a strong, confident sweet adorable little being.’
Another commented: ‘If only each of us had such will, determination, and confidence – God bless him.’
Earlier this month, a clip of him calming his crying newborn brother Jaxton by placing the baby’s fallen pacifier in his mouth also proved a hit.
Camden shows that he doesn’t let having no legs or full arms hold him back as he climbs four steps to get to the slide
The Whiddon family appeared on Good Morning Britain today to talk about the boy’s viral fame
The boy was born with phocomelia syndrome and amelia. Phocomelia is a congenital disorder that involves the malformation of limbs, while amelia is a birth defect in which a baby is born missing one or more limbs.
Camden who lives in Camden, Texas and turns four next month, has no legs, and his arms end at around where the elbow would be.
‘He can do it all by himself’
In the clip, Camden can be seen playing with his older sister Ryleigh at a park with their ‘Nonnie’ [grandmother] Karen Whiddon.
Karen, is heard saying: ‘these babies are on the slide, look at that man go!’
As Camden attempts to climb the four steps, she then praises him for being ‘so strong’ and asks him, ‘can you do it baby?’ to which he replies with a defiant ‘yes!’
Karen then adds ‘oh I forget, you told me, you’re not a baby, you’re a big boy!’
The three-year-old looks delighted with his achievement as he hurls himself down the slide
She reminds his sister, who has had several goes on the slide while her brother has been tackling the steps, to wait her turn as the enthusiastic girl tries to dart past Camden on the stairs.
‘Yeah, he can do it all by himself, and don’t want any help,’ says Karen, in the video which has had 13 million views since it was uploaded just over two weeks ago.
When she asks him if he wants some help, he shouts ‘no!’
Although it takes him nearly two minutes to get to the top of the slide, it’s clear the effort was worth it, from his delighted face as he slips down the slide and his mother catches him.
His grandmother Karen encourages the boy all along in the two-minute clip
Katie and Camden’s father, Cole, 23, appeared on Good Morning Britain to talk about the reaction to their videos.
His mother said: ‘We just thought it was funny that it went viral. And so I posted that to show that he can do like way more things than just put a pacifier in his mouth.
‘Then that just took off too and we are just so glad that people can see that he can do all of these amazing things.’
Helpful brother
In previous viral video, newborn Jaxton is laying down on his back on a bed. Ryleigh is nearby when Jaxton starts fidgeting and crying out, and it seems he has just lost his pacifier.
That’s when his big brother, who is laying on his back nearby, comes to his rescue. Resourceful Camden scoots himself closer and, using his face and shortened right arm, manages to lift up Jaxton’s pacifier.
He shifts even closer, lifting the pacifier into his little brother’s mouth. He pushes it in until Jaxton is quieted and starts sucking on it, content again.
So sweet! Three-year-old Camden is seen giving a pacifier to his brother Jaxton in a viral video
What a good big brother! Their mom, Katie Whiddon, told Daily Mail Online that Camden is always helping out like that
Katie previously told MailOnline that Camden is often helping Jaxton out.
‘Camden is always right there to give him his pacifier and wipe the spit up off of his mouth,’ she said. ‘This time Jaxton was crying and I said out loud to him that I was getting his pacifier. Then Camden said, ‘I got it Mommy!’ So I grabbed my phone and ran over there to capture the moment.
‘This is an every day thing for us, but I thought our friends and family would like to see it,’ she added.
Camden was born with phocomelia syndrome and amelia, which left him with no legs and arms that stop around the elbow
Go-getter: His mom said he has amazing problem solving skills and ‘tries everything over and over until he gets it’
‘He’s awesome’
Katie first found out that she was pregnant at age 18, in 2013. She said she didn’t drink or do drugs, ate healthy, and quit smoking but was told about Camden’s birth defects on her 18-week ultrasound.
But the boy has surprised everyone and is now thriving and continues to impress everyone.
‘I know that most people look at Camden and think, poor child. But when he gets comfortable in his surroundings and starts doing things on his own, everyone always gathers around to watch!’ she wrote.
The young mother shares inspiring updates on Camden’s struggles to overcome ber his disabilities on her blog.
‘He’s awesome and can do so many things you’d never believe unless you’ve seen it with your own eyes. The comment I get most is, ‘I never knew how fast he can move!’ He might not have legs to get up and run, but that boy can roll and scoot super fast! Don’t underestimate someone just because of the cover they were born in.’
Sibling bonding: However, Camden now does a lot on his own, including bathing and feeding himself. He can also color with markers and sit in the pool
Katie said that people often comment on how fast Camden can move, and are always amazed at what he can do
His parents are working on getting him prosthetic legs, and he can choose to get prosthetic arms when he is older