Eldiara, also known as Bionic Barbie, 22, suffers from stage 3 cancer. Unfortunately, due to her illness, she had to go through the experience of having her arm amputated. However, a tragic and life-changing event (and it certainly was for her), turned into an unorthodox and cathartic experience. Eldiara chose to hold a funeral for her amputated arm.
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On January 15, 2025, Eldiara, who has previously shared her cancer and amputation journey, decided to share her arm funeral story with her Instagram followers. Dressed in black with a black veil, Eldiara positioned her amputated arm on a bed. Said arm and hand were dressed up, adorned with a wrist bouquet, and Eldiara held them during her final goodbye.
" data-instgrm-version="14" style="background:#FFF;border:0;border-radius:3px;margin: 1px;max-width:540px;min-width:326px;padding:0;width:99.375%;width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px);width:calc(100% - 2px)">"What started as a joke - holding a service for my amputated arm - ended up being a beautifully cathartic experience," Eldiara wrote. She said that, while she laughed at the whole idea, the whole experience allowed her to reminisce of the many things she went through while she still could use her now-amputated arm.
"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," Eldiara continued. "I've played piano, guitar, ukulele, an act that I'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."
Battling Cancer
Eldiara went on to describe her cancer battle, stating that losing her arm was the "ultimate sacrifice." "Cancer has taken a lot from me and still continues to, and it's uniquely difficult to say goodbye to a limb like this," she said. "But this experience has helped me process the finality of this situation,"
She expressed her gratefulness to the mortuary that allowed this far-from-common event to be held at their premises. Finally, Eldiara thanked her loved one who accompanied her during her arm funeral. She also waived a final goodbye to her amputated limb. "Anyways, I'm sorry this happened to us, but you served me well," Eldiara concluded. "Thanks for the good memories, the pain, and all the joy."
While Eldiara's event was not what people think when they hear the word "funeral," her followers were quite supportive. The post generated half a million likes on Instagram, and many praised how Eldiara was able to handle her amputation. It is safe to say that she is mentally prepared to face life moving forward.
So sad and so unnecessary. The sooner this outdated tradition dies out, the better.