This Limpopo girl born without arms has become a social media sensation | You

Lesego Marema was born without arms. (PHOTO: Supplied)

She skilfully manages to feed herself, assists with household chores such as washing dishes and mopping and even enjoys taking selfies – all using her feet.

Lesego Marema from Mokopane in Limpopo has never allowed the fact she was born without arms to get her down.

And thanks to her resilient attitude, the three-year-old has become a social media sensation on TikTok, with more than 231 000 followers watching her dance, brush her teeth, take selfies and talk about her favourite person, President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Lesego’s mother, Martha Marema, runs the account and finds her daughter’s fearless approach to life truly inspirational.

“Most of the time she doesn’t want us to help her. Sometimes when you want to feed her, she’ll say, ‘No, I don’t want anyone to feed me’ because she wants to do it herself,” Martha (36) says.

“She doesn’t see herself as different from other kids because she can do what other children can do.” 

Martha, a mother of two boys, Karabo (14) and Kabelo (11), was thrilled to discover she was pregnant with a girl.

The check-ups she had during her pregnancy showed no signs of complications. The night she gave birth, however, was shocking and confusing because Lesego was born without arms.

“At the time I didn’t understand what was happening. I didn’t know people could be born with no arms,” Martha says.

The single mom spent the entire night crying. “I was in so much pain and I didn’t understand but I realised that this was my baby. She’s like any other child, she was just missing arms,” she says. 

Martha came to terms with the situation after doctors explained that her daughter had amelia, a birth defect characterised by the absence of limbs, and introduced her to others who were born that way.

Lesego underwent various tests to determine if she had any bone fractures or missing internal organs, but she was found to be perfectly healthy. 

While her mother was initially worried about developmental milestones, Lesego showed that children can develop differently and still thrive.

Instead of crawling on her knees and hands, Lesego got around by scooting on her buttocks. By the time she was nine months she was already walking. 

Martha says Lesego has always been independent and taught herself to do things around the house with her feet. 

When she was two years old she began using a spoon and learnt to feed herself.

“We didn’t teach her anything because we also don’t know how to do things with our feet,” Martha says. “I can’t pick anything up with my feet and I can’t scratch my head with my toenail.”

Since Lesego is a toddler, her mother doesn’t expect her to do any chores, but the little girl is eager to help around the house and apart from needing assistance when using the bathroom, she can do everything herself.

“She has to do things for herself, and we allow her to,” her mom says.  

Martha, who decided to create a TikTok account to share her daughter’s daily activities, says she was surprised when the account gained followers from as far afield as Zimbabwe, Botswana and Nigeria.

Parents of differently abled children frequently contact her on social media, she says. Some share that they keep their children indoors to protect them from bullying, while others say that Lesego’s videos help them feel less isolated by showing that there are other children facing similar challenges.

“I didn’t expect this response, but I’m also happy I can share,” Martha says. 

Lesego enjoys sharing her daily life through spontaneous videos and dreams of meeting Cyril Ramaphosa. Her interest in the country’s leader started from watching the news, which she prefers over playing outside or watching cartoons.

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Martha intends to enrol Lesego in preschool. Despite her concerns about potential bullying, she’s optimistic about Lesego’s ability handle a mainstream educational environment. 

“The way I know my daughter, she’s strong at her age. I believe she will cope because she’s used to being around people. She won’t feel like she’s different.”