CANCER CLAIMS ARM OF US ‘BIONIC BARBIE’ AS FUNERAL FOR LOST LIMB BRINGS NEW-FOUND CONFIDENCE

Social media influencer with rare cancer holds unusual farewell for embalmed limb, hand of amputated arm adorned with black nail varnish

A woman from the United States known as "Bionic Barbie", who lost her right arm to a rare disease, has held a funeral for the lost limb, and in the process regained her confidence, inspiring many people online.

Social media influencer, Eldiara Doucette, 22, has gained some 510,000 followers by sharing details of her battle with cancer.

According to the American magazine People, Doucette was diagnosed with synovial sarcoma three years ago, a rare form of cancer that affects only about 1,000 people each year.

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She described constant nerve pain in her right arm, saying it felt like an electric shock.

"Nerve pain is an untouchable beast," Doucette said, adding that she once tried to ease the pain by placing her hand in scalding hot water.

Doctors confirmed her diagnosis of synovial sarcoma, which has a five-year survival rate of about 40 per cent to 60 per cent.

Doucette's cancer recurred three times over three years, leaving her constantly anxious and unsettled.

She underwent radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and multiple surgeries, shaving off her curly black hair.

Doucette said even during treatment remission, she still felt persistent anxiety.

Last October, her condition worsened, and she had to undergo the amputation of her right arm below the elbow.

Before the surgery, she wrote words of gratitude and farewell on her limb.

Doucette revealed plans to have a metal rod implanted into her bone to facilitate a robotic prosthetic, which led her to call herself the "Bionic Barbie".

She decided to hold a funeral for her right arm to commemorate her journey.

The mortuary staff preserved the amputated arm and embalmed it for the occasion.

On January 15, Doucette, wearing black and a veil, joined family and friends to bid a lighthearted farewell to her right arm.

The limb rested on a table under a grey blanket.

The nails on its hand were painted black, and a delicate red flower adorned the wrist.

As Doucette walked towards her arm, a bittersweet smile crossed her face, her eyes shimmering with tears.

She reflected on the memories tied to the limb that had been part of her for 22 years.

"I have held many hands, felt the skin of loved ones, picked up spiders to take outside, saved worms off of the pavement, wiped away tears, patted dogs, and picked many dandelions," she wrote in a social media post.

Doucette fondly remembered how her arm once brought music to life, playing the piano, guitar, and ukulele, joys now left in the past.

She admitted she often joked that her arm had "tried to kill her".

But as she stood, face-to-face with what was once part of her, she realised it was also a victim of her illness.

"It made the ultimate sacrifice for me," she said.

Doucette said she felt more confident about the future.

"You cannot control what has happened or what might happen," she said, adding that, despite the pain she has suffered, she had chosen the right path.

The video of the funeral went viral, amassing more than 4.4 million likes.

One online observer called it "a profoundly iconic display of art", writing: "I am so proud of you."

"That arm looks aged. It supported you for so long. I am glad you gave it a proper send off. This is a great new beginning," said another.

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This article originally appeared on the South China Morning Post (www.scmp.com), the leading news media reporting on China and Asia.

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2025-02-02T10:20:41Z