Nationwide — Kashmiere Culberson, an African American mother from Dallas, Texas, who was born without arms, has found her own way to navigate motherhood. She uses her feet to feed, dress, and care for her 1-year-old daughter, ZaNova, while handling the daily challenges of raising a child.
Culberson was born with bilateral phocomelia, a rare condition that affects limb development. Although she has no arms, she has learned to use her legs and feet for tasks that many parents normally do with their hands. During meals, Culberson uses her feet to feed ZaNova one spoonful at a time. She also changes her daughter’s diapers, gets her dressed, fixes her hair, and puts her to bed, according to WFAA.
For Culberson, figuring out how to care for her daughter has come through a mix of instinct and problem-solving. She said she sometimes plans how to handle a task, while other times she simply figures it out as she goes.
Her confidence comes from her parents, who encouraged her to try things on her own. Their support helped Culberson become independent and gave her the confidence to take on challenges throughout her life. Aside from being a mother, Culberson has also built a career as an entrepreneur and content creator with hundreds of thousands of followers.
In June 2025, she became a mother in June 2025 after giving birth to ZaNova Amor Loraine Polk at Methodist Dallas Medical Center. Culberson had spent two months on bed rest at the hospital while doctors worked to prevent a premature birth. The delivery also brought her back to the same hospital where she was born in 1997.
Nearly three decades earlier, Rose Kraus, a nurse at the same hospital, had helped deliver Culberson. The moment stuck with her because she had never delivered a baby who was born without arms. She also remembered Culberson’s mother, Tomika Bomar, immediately wanting to hold her newborn daughter.
When Kraus later cared for a pregnant patient with no arms, she did not recognize Culberson at first. A few minutes after leaving her room, she realized the patient was the same baby she had helped deliver in 1997.
Culberson and Kraus reunited at the hospital in 2026, this time with ZaNova there as well. Kraus hugged Culberson and held her daughter, marking a reunion nearly 30 years after their first meeting.
Culberson calls ZaNova “an angel sent from heaven.” As her daughter grows, she hopes to give her the same confidence and independence her parents gave her.
“I want her to be as independent as me,” Culberson said. “Everybody has a hard life. Everybody has different challenges. But you know you’re strong and tough when you can get through it.”