Turkish amputee woman grabs life with bionic arm

GAZIANTEP, TURKEY - JUNE 17: A Turkish amputee woman who lost her arm from the elbow down in a traffic accident in March 2016 grabs life with her bionic arm which she named “Revo”. The accident was not the first big trauma in her life. Zubeyde Nisa Karabacak, 30, living in the southeastern province of Gaziantep Karabacak, born as the eldest of a family with 4 children in Nizip district, fell on the ground from the second floor of a building when she was a child. She had thyroid cancer when she was 18 and successfully battled the disease for 5 years. After that, she suffered two heart attacks before losing her arm. However, these traumas could not daunt the vivacious woman. Karabacak, exhibiting a positive attitude, embraces life vigorously with “Revo” controlled by her brain. The bionic arm was attached to her natural arm three years ago. Zübeyde Nisa Karabacak said the traffic accident is a milestone in her life. “Of course I was aware of how precious my life was before it. I think I learned to live everything for myself after the accident.” she said. Karabacak who works as a guide in a museum of the Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality can do almost every work with the bionic arm, even her nail polish without any help, now she plays violin, tambourine, and draw pictures. She said “After the accident, I started thinking with the logic of ‘I have better days to live’ or ‘I have a lot of things to do in my life, it shouldn't end here” adding that “I set little goals for myself.” The amputee woman mostly spends time in a studio room when she is at home, drawing something or turning wastes into goods. Karabacak said, “Painting was not something that I was interested in, I did or I tried before I lost my arm.” “This is something I discovered or diverted after the traffic accident. It extremely motivates me.” she said. (Footage by Kerem Kocalar/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)