US Woman Holds Funeral for Amputated Arm After Cancer Battle: ‘Tried to Kill Me’

US Woman Holds Funeral for Amputated Arm After Cancer Battle: Eldiara Doucette, a 22-year-old social media influencer in the U.S. who lost her right arm to a rare form of cancer, had a unique funeral for her limb. It was an event filled with symbolism, with the purpose of declaring her triumph over adversity and encouraging others along the way.

Doucette, who has more than 510,000 followers known as “Bionic Barbie,” shared her journey with synovial sarcoma, a rare cancer that affects only about 1,000 people across the world each year. The diagnosis, which was confirmed about three years ago, came with pain in the nerves "like an untouchable beast." She had even tried taking the pain away by putting her hand into scalding hot water.

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Despite three cancer recurrences in as many years during her treatment with chemotherapy and radiation therapy and many surgeries, Doucette never lived without having a hint of worry in the back of her mind about relapsing during remission. It was during her last set of health troubles in October, when the decision was made to amputate her right arm below the elbow.

Prior to the surgery, Doucette wrote messages of thanks that expressed her gratefulness to her arm for all the good and bad times in her life. A funeral was planned in her honor to officially bury the arm that had supported her for 22 years.

Funeral

On January 15, she wore a black dress and veil, surrounded by family and friends. The embalmed limb, its black-painted nails embellished with a red flower on the wrist, lay discreetly covered with a gray blanket. Walking towards the limb, Doucette wore a bittersweet smile, tears coming to her eyes.

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She reflected on the experiences her arm had blessed her with: holding hands with loved ones, comforting those in need, playing the piano and guitar, and even saving such creatures as worms and spiders.

A renewed belief and acceptance of the future from her had affected Doucette in these words: “You cannot control what has happened or what might happen.”

Plans are being made for implantation of a metal rod to facilitate a robot prosthesis, thereby earning her the moniker Bionic Barbie.

The video of the funeral went viral online, getting 4.4 million likes, with countless supportive comments. One user called the ceremony “a profoundly iconic display of art,” while another wrote, “That arm looks aged; it supported you for so long. I’m glad you gave it a proper send-off.”

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