Girl With No Hip Sockets Takes First Steps After Copying Brother

An adorable young girl who was born with no hip sockets has defied doctors’ predictions and taken her very first steps. In the inspiring video, 2-year-old Ava can be seen at her family home in McCalla, Alabama, as her father Matt Hays, 27, and his brother, Luke, 26, hold her hands. Then, with mom Jennifer and the others encouraging Ava’s every attempted movement, the youngster began walking towards the camera to the delight of everyone. Ava was born with a number of medical conditions - including spina bifida, all elements of VACTERL, femoral facial hypolasia, and a missing right femur - and below the waste she has no muscle tone. As a result of her conditions, Ava, who has no hip sockets, was told by doctors that she would most likely not be able to sit up, crawl, and especially walk. But over time, she began learning from her brother Harvey, who himself was learning to walk. As Harvey began taking steps, Jennifer, 28, said, Ava started to ask, “Walk please” too, before taking her first steps on February 4.