Odisha: Born without arms, girl uses feet as hands

Twelve-year-old Subhadra Tungo is carrying out an incredible array of activities using her feet as her hands, which might seem difficult for others.

Born without arms, Subhadra brushes her hair, eats with the spoon, writes and even cuts vegetables using her feet.

Living with her family in Odisha's Mayurbhanj district, the girl's disability did not stop her from living life to the fullest. Although she wore prosthetic limbs initially, she decided to do without it and use her feet instead.

"I do not feel any sorrow, as there is no work I cannot do. People use their hands for all their work, I do the same with my feet," said the girl, who studies in class 8 in a nearby school.

Sharing his daughter's story, Subhadra's father said that even they were amused when she first started using her feet for different tasks. "People often ask, how did you teach her to do all the tasks with her feet? But we did not teach her anything, she learned on her own," said the father.

Subhadra said that she was initially mocked by her peers at school, which resulted in a significant drop in her confidence. However, she said that eventually, the students began to accept her the way she is and supported her.

For her undying spirit and courage, Subhadra has been awarded several prizes at the block and district levels.