Kashmiere Culberson of Dallas, Texas, understands this well. She was born with no arms and has had to navigate a world that doesn’t cater to her needs. Thankfully, she’s learned to love herself and is empowering others to do the same.
When doctors told Kashmiere’s parents that she had bilateral phocomelia, they made it their mission to support her in figuring out how she would do things. Thankfully, that wasn’t as difficult as they’d imagined.
Tomika, Kashmiere’s mom, said she was constantly blown away by her daughter’s ability to adapt. From the beginning, she said, “Everything was just with her feet, like holding her bottle, her pacifier. She would flick in and out with her toe.”
Of course, that doesn’t mean it’s been easy for Kashmiere. She dealt with low self-esteem and confidence for a long time. But as time passed and the challenges got tougher, so did she.
Now she’s in her final year of college. With the help of her psychology degree, she hopes to become a motivational speaker, and she’s already well on her way. She has thousands of followers on YouTube, where she posts regular vlogs about her life and how she manages activities like applying makeup, writing, and cooking with no arms.
Kashmiere’s goal is to show people that even though she may not look like them, she’s not any different. In fact, she said she’s working on just being herself.
What a great way to encourage people with disabilities to feel comfortable in their own skin. We can’t wait to see her change more lives. Keep up the awesome work, Kashmiere!
