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Disability does not slow down this hard-worker

3/5/2013

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By Brittany Carruthers \ Micro Memphis Reporter 
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Robin Henderson, 22, works at Einstein Brothers at The University of Memphis every day and has a second job at FedEx Forum. She was born with an unusual circumstance where doctors called her condition a mystery. Her right hand is smaller than her  left but that doesn’t keep her from living a normal life. 

“My confidence comes from within,” Henderson said.

She believes in never giving up and conquering the impossible.

What I do on a day-to-day basis is work and spending time with my family.  I am very aware that my hand is different from others but I keep the ball moving because no one is going to have sympathy for no one,” Henderson said. 


Besides her working, she gets annoyed when people stare at her like she is not human. Her way of brushing off this issue would be to kill them with kindness.

Rita, her co- worker, is her best friend there and she motivates Robin to keep working at the bagel shop.

“For me, it is an inspiration to see her work with good spirits and watch her strive for success,” Rita said.

Rita became close with Robin because she saw something in her that inspired her to keep living life.

“She is a great person when you get to know her,” Rita said.

“When I was growing up I got teased for my hand and bullied. My friends talked about me behind my back. Nowadays, people are more sophisticated with their judgments. It’s like you know they are talking about you, but they will never say aloud,” Henderson said.

She takes the orders of customers in the Bagel store, writing with her left hand but she holds down the paper with her right hand.

“Sometimes I get nervous to show my hand with little gestures needed like pressing down the order slip so it won’t move when I write, but it is what I have to do,” Henderson said.

Afraid of what people may say when they walk through those doors of her job, she finds ways to keep herself calm.

“I sing gospel songs inside my head and I pray from within and ask God to strengthen my heart and make me stronger than a bull because the devil is constantly after me to try and make me throw in the towel,” she said.

The feeling of wanting to hide away from the world is heavily on her mind but her coworkers keep her in great spirits.

“I always wanted a positive environment to be in. I wondered what I was here for as a child growing up but now I know and that is to be an inspiration,” Henderson said.

Henderson stands up quickly from the interview at the bagel store to clock back in and gives her words of advice for others out there who believe they are incapable.

“If you really think you can not do anything because you are different then you will be that person. Believe in yourself and others will have no choice but to believe in you,” Henderson said.
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