Meet a mother and her son who were born without arms

Mother and son having dinner using their feet to hold cutlery

A 35-year-old Linda Bannon was born with no arms – the result of the rare hereditary condition Holt-Oram syndrome, which affects bone growth and can cause heart problems. The same disease was inherited by Linda’s son Timmy who also uses his feet in place of his hands.




Despite all the difficulties the mother-of-one do all the household work including cooking, washing up, making the bed and many more. The brave woman also has taught herself to eat using cutlery, put on make-up and even sew using her feet.

At the age of 24 Linda met her future husband who was amazed by her independence

At the age of 24 Linda met her future husband who was amazed by her independence and was very supportive when she got pregnant. Even when the couple found out that their son would have the same problems as his mother they had no doubts that their baby would be able to live a normal life.


Timmy can swim, regularly takes taekwondo classes and plays video games like any boy his age

As soon as Timmy was old enough, Mrs Bannon began to teach him everything she had learned. Now Timmy is a normal boy who lives up to the hilt, he can swim, regularly takes taekwondo classes and plays video games like any boy his age.



Linda says, “Timmy is just like any other little boy. He does his homework, plays Lego and tidies his room, all using his feet. He gets frustrated by things like fastening buttons, but he’s very positive and I’m so proud of him.”



Mrs Bannon now plans to become a motivational speaker, to help others facing similar disabilities. She said: “I want to raise awareness about my disability and show you can live a full life. There’s no reason why Timmy can’t have a wife and family. As long as he’s happy that’s all that matters.”