Single Mom Born Without Arms Does Everything With Her Feet

One single mom’s struggles are compounded as she is forced to do everything with her feet. But through it all, she only says, “I love my life.”

32-year-old Laurel Burns was born without arms, which may have been the result of her mother’s drug addiction, the Tomah, Wisconsin native told The Doctors.

She tried prosthetic arms as a child but said “it didn’t work out,” so she learned to use her feet to perform everyday tasks.

Up Next: Woman With Brain Cancer Gets Vandalized for Parking in Handicap Spot

“I learned how to do everything with my feet. Write, use utensils, brush my teeth,” she explained.

Burns lived with her father and stepmother from the time she was 10 years old, where they treated her as a normal child without special treatment.

“You don’t know what you’re able to do until you try it,” she said.

As a busy mom of two boys and a full-time student herself, Burns even earned her driver’s license.

“I called the DMV and asked what they needed for me to prove I could drive a vehicle, and they gave me a simple answer — as long as you can prove you can safely drive a vehicle, you can get your license,” she said. “I passed my driver’s test the first try.”

Burns’ friends admire her strength and perseverance. “Instead of being angry and giving up, she is this easy-going, funny person,” her friend Dinette said through tears.

Despite the amazing feats Burns has over coming, she said some everyday tasks — vacuuming, for example — still cause her stress.

“Have you ever tried vacuuming with your neck? It’s definitely a challenge and I don’t enjoy it,” the mom said.

To help Burns with some of those challenging tasks, The Doctors hosts and partners presented her with new maintenance-free vinyl floors, as well as products to help her car windows stay free of fog and ice in the winter.

As a gift for her strength and perseverance, she and a friend were also given a trip to Aspen, Colorado and private ski lessons.