- Born without arms due to a rare condition called phocomelia, Anna learned from infancy to use her feet for everyday tasks
- Determined to live independently, Anna mastered driving, typing, cooking and cleaning with her feet
- Sharing her journey online, Anna is hoping to inspire other young women living with limb differences
Here, Anna, 32, tells her story in her own words.
Taking a seat at the restaurant, I slipped off my sandals and picked up the chopsticks with my toes.
Lifting the sushi to my mouth, I noticed people staring.
As a young girl, the attention would have made me want to hide.
But now I knew people weren’t being rude, they were amazed.
After all, it’s not every day you see someone eating with their feet!
I’d been diagnosed with a rare congenital condition at birth called phocomelia.
It meant my arms and hands never formed properly in the womb.
After being sent to an orphanage in Vietnam, in 1994 I was adopted by my mum, Sue, then 42, when I was seven months old.
She raised me along with five other siblings who lived with physical and cognitive disabilities.
Determined not to let me fall behind, from the moment I was able to sit up Mum began training me to hold my baby bottle and eating utensils between my toes.
Soon Mum watched in awe as I could not only pick up the utensils, but feed myself as well.
From a young age I was always captivated by people with arms and how they used them.
Watching as Mum brushed her hair each morning, held a cup of coffee, and wrote with a pencil, I was determined to do the same.
Mimicking the movements, but using my legs, I practised over and over until I got it right.
Learning how to open jars, put on a jacket and carry a full cup of water from the kitchen to the dinner table – all with my feet – was just the start.
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And each time I nailed something, I had more confidence to conquer the next action.
‘You can do anything you set your mind to,’ Mum would encourage, if I was ever frustrated at not being able to do something.
When I started school, aged five, everyone was so supportive as I navigated learning with my limb difference.
Sitting on the floor, I’d use my left foot to hold the page of my notebook in place while I wrote with my right.
Thankfully, the other kids never picked on me for being different.
They were just amazed by what I could do.
But there were certain things that took me longer to get a grasp of, including pulling up my pants, managing zippers and fastening buttons on clothes.
Too embarrassed to ask for help, I’d avoid drinking throughout the day so I wouldn’t need to use the bathroom.
And in new social circles, I would hide behind my friends to avoid people staring while I ate with my feet.
‘Will my arms ever grow?’ I asked Mum curiously.
‘I don’t think so, sweetheart,’ she soothed.
While doctors couldn’t be sure what caused my limb difference, one suggested that my birth mother may have been impacted by the effects of Agent Orange, a toxic chemical herbicide sprayed widely by the US during the Vietnam War.
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Working hard to keep up with my peers, I joined the soccer team and local figure skating club.
I also had weekly piano lessons.
As a teen, I became so skilled with my feet that I learned how to curl my hair, put on a necklace, cook, and sew.
I’d learned to avoid clothing with zips, buttons, long sleeves and shoelaces, to make getting dressed independently easier.
And at 16 I found a driving school that could help me learn to drive, with my left foot on the pedals and the other on the steering wheel.
Aged 18, I went to study psychology at university.
Relocating three hours away from home, I moved into a dormitory, which I shared with a roommate.
Just when I thought I’d mastered life without arms, I discovered the hassle of household chores, like sweeping and doing the laundry.
Determined to live independently and be a good housemate, I learned how to adapt, like always.
After uni, in mid 2020, I went to work in admin at a busy tech company, where everyone has been supportive of my limb difference.
Now 32, I’m living a life I once thought impossible.
After always fearing my limb difference would hold me back from finding love, in late 2023 I met my partner online, and we moved in together six months later.
In March this year I shared some videos on my Instagram @annabythefoot, giving viewers a glimpse into my life doing everyday things, such as using chopsticks, putting on earrings, curling my hair, texting and typing.
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I hoped it would inspire other young women living with limb differences to know how much was possible when you put your mind to something.
One of the most impressive things I’ve ever seen, one person commented.
I can’t even do this with arms, someone wrote on a video of me painting my toenails.
Incredibly, within a few months I’ve amassed 43,000 followers.
Life without arms hasn’t been easy, but I’ve always found a way!
