By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2025-01-17 20:11:59 | Updated at 2025-01-17 23:28:12
3 hours ago
When Eldiara's arm was amputated as part of life-saving cancer treatment, she knew she wanted to honor her limb in some way.
The 22-year-old, who has posted her cancer and amputation journey under the username Bionic Barbie, had her right arm amputated in October, 2024 before deciding to hold a funeral for it.
In a recent video, Eldiara, who has stage 3 cancer, showed the ceremony she held in honor of her forearm and hand, which she had to have amputated.
'What started as a joke - holding a service for my amputated arm - ended up being a beautifully cathartic experience,' she wrote in a recent Instagram post, along with pictures of the farewell event.
In photos and videos, Eldiara dressed in all black, including a veil, to mourn her arm, which was amputated below the elbow when a tumor was discovered.
Her arm lay in an open casket of sorts - also draped in black with a red corsage on it - with her friends and family attending to pay their respects.
The content creator said that when she first saw her arm setup on the bed she 'laughed at the absurdity of it for a minute,' before somberly reflecting on her what it had given her.
'I just stared at the shriveled up skin for a while, trying to remember the past 22 years I was able to spend with this thing,' Eldiara wrote in the post.
In a recent video, 22-year-old Eldiara, who has stage 3 cancer, showed her holding a funeral for her forearm and hand, which she had to have amputated
'I've held many hands, felt the skin of loved ones, picked up spiders to take outside, saved worms off of the sidewalk, wiped away tears, pet dogs and picked many dandelions,' she reminisced.
Eldiara continued, writing she's played piano, guitar and ukulele - something she'll never again get to experience.
'I always joke that my arm tried to kill me, but after looking at it on the table, seeing the scars it collected over the years, I realized it too was just a victim of this disease, and it made the ultimate sacrifice on my behalf,' she shared.
'Cancer has taken a lot from me and still continues to, and it's uniquely difficult to say goodbye to a limb like this, but this experience has helped me process the finality of this situation.'
She thanked the mortuary for preserving her arm, despite it being such an 'unconventional request.'
'They treated her with the same respect that they would with a full loved one.
'They painted her nails and livened up her skin, gave her a pillow to rest on and a blanket to make her comfortable,' she shared.
Eldiara concluded her heartfelt post by saying despite her devastation over losing her arm, she feels she chose the right path.
Eldiara, who has posted her cancer and amputation journey under the username Bionic Barbie, had her right arm amputated in October, 2024 before deciding to hold a funeral for it
'I'm infinitely grateful for my loved ones who were willing to go to my own funeral with me. I'm glad I was able to say both thank you and goodbye,' she wrote.
In a comment on TikTok, Eldiara added her limb 'didn't feel like her hand at all.'
'It was gross and cold and hard. It felt like an uncured wax statue,' Eldiara wrote in a TIkTok comment.
Social media users prasied Eldaria for how she's handled the major life change.
'This is Moira Rose behavior and it is iconic,' declared one in reference to the fictional character in the Canadian sitcom Schitt's Creek.
'The positioning on the pillow and the extra touch with the corsage are iconic,' some one else wrote.
'It looks so old now, like it's lived a whole, long life,' chimed in someone else. 'So cool you got to do this. Your attitude towards the life you've been given is inspiring.'
