TALLAHASSEE (WTXL) - Erica Silvey is a twelve year old youth soccer standout who plays forward on the Tottenham Hotspur Futbol Club. She is also a below the knee left leg amputee, but you would never know it by her never quit attitude.
Erica was born with a birth defect, and had her leg amputated at just ten months old. Laura Silvey, Erica's mom, told WTXL that when her daughter received her first prosthetic, the doctors said it would take six months of rehab before Erica would be able to walk and run, but two weeks later, Erica was running down the hallway at her house.
Thanks to all of her accomplishments, Erica was nominated and crowned US Youth Soccer's Player of the Month for June, a nationwide honor given to a kid who represents the balance of athletic achievement, sportsmanship and citizenship, and those that know her say it couldn't have gone to a more awesome kid.
"Soccer is something that she loves, and people might say you need two legs for that, but she's determined to say no you don't," said her mom Laura.
"It's one of those things, people keep congratulating me, but I just showed her the skills," said her coach Erin McKenzie. "She had the drive and the determination to do it. She deserves that and so much more."
"It was really cool," said Erica of the honor. "To be the best US female soccer Player of the Month. You can't judge someone how they can do something until they actually do it and you can see how good they are and what they can do."
WTXL will have more of Erica's story next week.
