It’s hard to imagine what it means to live without arms, but when you’ve lived your whole life that way, you can’t imagine anything else. Doctors have never been able to understand why Sarah Talbi from Brussels, Belgium, was born without upper limbs, but from a young age, she learned to do practically everything she needed without them. She uses her feet instead of hands to cook, clean, brush her teeth and hair, and now she takes care of her daughter too.
Lilia was born in 2018, and Sarah was able to do everything to support herself. She took care of her baby without anyone’s help. Despite facing numerous challenges, the armless mom does everything for her daughter, and she refuses to let anything hold her back.
Eventually, Sarah realized she was having some difficulties with certain manual tasks of motherhood, so she started using her frustration as motivation to educate others about life without limbs. She began documenting her journey because she was frustrated with needing help to take care of her baby. She decided to turn these moments into something creative.
Sarah turned to social media and YouTube channels to demonstrate how she carries out daily activities: applying makeup, washing dishes, and other life skills. She became independent from childhood, using only her feet since she never had hands. Even when she was very young, she could dress, play, and even write using her feet.
“I can do anything with my feet as long as I don’t have shoes,” she explained. “I do my makeup, dress up, cook, shower, take care of Lilia—I can do whatever I want.”
Growing up, Sarah never thought of herself as different from other kids. In her view, some people had arms, and others didn’t. This same perspective is what she instills in her daughter.
Sarah’s social media channels allow her to educate others about her unique perspective, and she enjoys connecting with others who see themselves in her challenges. She hopes that by witnessing how she overcomes her limitations, it will encourage others to push themselves to live their best lives.
