McKinney, Texas - Alyssa Cleland was born with a missing leg and no middle fingers. Abandoned on account of her unusual condition, the Ukrainian-born athlete and social media star has shared her active and fulfilling lifestyle, as well as her remarkable goal.

Alyssa Cleland was born in a small Ukrainian town and abandoned by her biological parents at a very young age, assumedly due to her unusual condition.

After her birth, doctors diagnosed her with ectrodactyly and paraxial tibial hemimelia. The first condition meant that she was born without middle fingers on either hand, and the second caused a deformed shinbone - an issue which eventually meant that she needed a leg amputation at only four years old.

"I've lived my whole life with a prosthetic," Alyssa explains in a TikTok video. "I've had a few prosthetics in my short life and honestly, I couldn't imagine my life any other way."

Having been abandoned as a child, Alyssa Cleland was adopted by an American couple, and has lived in the USA ever since.

The social media star has been active her whole life, playing a variety of sports including swimming, volleyball, and surfing. Now, she has become a passionate and skilled horseback rider.

Obstacles rear their ugly heads often, however, but Alyssa Cleland has got used to dealing with them: "I started riding when I was ten. But it proved to be quite difficult, as many institutions didn't allow me to ride because they considered my leg a burden."

Alyssa found her niche in riding, making her next big goal the 2025 Paralympic Games, where she intends to compete as a dressage rider.

She's a real power house and has been very candid in sharing her journey with her million-plus following base on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.

Often receiving questions, Alyssa Cleland has a habit of being candid and honest in her responses. "I love my hands and think they're cool, even though I can't give anyone the middle finger," the blonde quips in one of her clips.

If her quest to compete in the 2025 Paralympics succeeds, Alyssa Cleland will have gone from abandonment to glory over the course of her life. It's a truly inspiring tale.

In an interview with Storiium, she admitted that getting adopted at a slightly older age meant that she had already developed a strong sense of independence that made things difficult for her new parents. Despite loving them, she currently isn't on speaking terms with them.

Alyssa has only limited information about her birth mother and suspects she got pregnant very young. But just as with her conditions, she prefers focusing on the positives and making the most out of everything that life brings.