Armless FilAm girl weds tae kwon do instructor

Jessica Cox and Patrick Chamberlain

By Rodney J. Jaleco

WASHINGTON D.C. – A year after they were engaged, Jessica Cox, 29, the armless Filipino American aviatrix and tae kwon do instructor Patrick Chamberlain finally tied the knot at a Pasadena, California church last May 12.

Jessica called this writer to share the good news to her many fans in the nation’s capital via the “Manila Mail” newspaper. I interviewed Jessica when she was one of the honorees at the anniversary of the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 2010 at the White House. This was when President Barack Obama called Cox an inspiration to the tens of thousands of handicapped people.

Although she was born without both arms, she hurdled all the obstacles along the way. She has since then led a remarkable life, proving that physical disabilities can be overcome with grit and determination.

"It was a long process. It didn't happen overnight. I went through a lot of times when I said I wished I had arms or I wished that things were different. But I came to the point of acceptance right at the beginning of high school. And I said you know what, this is my life and I choose to be grateful for what I have and I choose to wish for more,” Cox revealed.

"When I look at myself in the mirror, I see myself as complete… because this is my life and I've been able to do so many things because I've been blessed with the family I've been given with,” she declared.

Cox travels all over the world as a motivational speaker, delivering this message and offering inspiration not only for the handicapped but for people facing severe crisis in their lives.

Her mother, Inez Macabare, a registered nurse born in Bobon, Northern Samar, had her prenatal tests but doctors found nothing wrong with her baby. The baby, without her knowing it, had suffered a rare birth defect.

"If I was born with those two arms, I don't think I wouldn't have been able to accomplish as much as I have as well as meet and go all over the world as much as I have," she said.

Cox first earned a driver’s license but later moved on to flying planes. She also earned a blackbelt in taekwondo at age 14, unaware that it was in this world (aside from aviation, she’s also a certified scuba diver, piano player and ballroom dancer) that she met the love of her life. Chamberlain was her tae kwon do instructor.

"Jessica and I met through taekwondo. I was her instructor…I was working with another lady, we were running a school, and Jessica came in. She was asked to do a special demonstration for our World Championships in front of our grandmaster and about 5,000 people. So she needed extra training to get ready," he revealed in a radio interview in Manila.

"Not long after that, I got transferred to another school. And I thought, ‘what the heck. She's an amazing person I'm taking her to dinner.’ And the rest is history."

"It was a long process. It didn't happen overnight. I went through a lot of times when I said I wished I had arms or I wished that things were different. But I came to the point of acceptance right at the beginning of high school. And I said you know what, this is my life and I choose to be grateful for what I have and I choose to wish for more,” Cox revealed.

"When I look at myself in the mirror, I see myself as complete… because this is my life and I've been able to do so many things because I've been blessed with the family I've been given with,” she declared.