Writing, grabbing door handles and gripping a tooth brush are all things most people take for granted. Nine-year-old Rachel Larson does not. She was born with Holt-Oram Syndrome. It is a condition that has left her without some bones in her wrist and hand, including her thumbs.

As a Marine on St. Croix couple prepare to adopt a daughter from China with a cleft lip or palate, they understand exactly how much treatment and surgery the girl will need and how much love she'll add to their life. Because, you see, they've done it all.

BURNSVILLE, Minn. -- Summer or winter, it's typical to see a wave of interest in Olympic sports before, during, and after the games. Even for the handicapped. "Look at him, he's having such a blast," Janelle Blasingame said, as her six-year-old son Elijah was skiing down Buck Hill in Burnsville. Elijah has cerebral palsy. Saturday was his first time skiing.

Tyler Schell, 8, suffers from a condition called osteogenesis imperfecta or OI, which means at any time, any place his bones are susceptible to breaking. OI is so rare, less than one percent of the population suffers from it.

A young Minnesota girl's family fought for two years to find out what was wrong with her because she was tired and falling asleep at the blink of an eye. Two years ago, 6-year-old Arianna Hall was not as energetic and active. Jessi Hall says her daughter's episodes began in September of 2007 while living in England.

A surgery brought them together in Minnesota; a Guard deployment reunited them in the desert.

For years a little boy from Zimmerman has fought to keep up with his friend. But thanks to an amazing procedure, he is getting his spring back in his step.

Only 10 days after she was born, a young girl named Junfen was abandoned in China because she had a cleft lip and palate. But that isn't the only hardship the young girl faced. She also has severe scoliosis.

Little girl meets life's challenges feet first

Injury is always a concern for people living with epilepsy. Seizure alert dogs are helping alleviate some of the fears. The dogs can warn people with epilepsy of an oncoming attack before the seizure occurs, or even alert family members they are happening. But one family says they have a unique pet, keeping their daughter safe in the night with her cat-like instincts.

Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare has been presented with the American Psychological Association (APA) Best Practices Honor for Psychologically Healthy Workplaces. The honor, announced at the APA national conference in Washington, D.C., is granted to only 10 organizations throughout the U.S. each year.