Emmi Hurley, 15, has learned to dissipate her attention deficit hyperactivity disorder – ADHD – through her hands.
Watching her crochet part of an American flag blanket, Emmi’s fingers move with machine-like precision. Sometimes she crochets up to four hours a day while watching movies or listening to school lessons online.
“It calms me down,” explains Emmi, who was adopted by her American parents from China when she was 13 months old. “My brain does not produce a chemical that normal people have to sit down and focus. That’s why I am hyperactive.
“I actually make better scores [on schoolwork] if I sit and crochet while I listen,” she adds.
Emmi said it takes her about 125-130 hours to crochet and assemble a blanket to fit a twin-size bed. She sells her blankets for $275 each and puts the money away for college. She is homeschooled now but plans to attend nursing school and eventually become a nurse midwife.