Dejana Backo was born a limb amputee, which is not without its problems, but she has never let that stop her from living her life and finding unique solutions to everyday tasks.
Just four months ago, the 28-year-old and her partner, 24-year-old Marko Nezic, gave birth to their baby daughter, Lara, and the couple couldn’t be happier.
Since giving birth, Dejana has been sharing candid videos of her life as a mom on TikTok (@marko_dejana), including the difficulties and the highlights, with millions of views on her videos.
“At first, it wasn’t easy,” said the artist. “I wanted so badly to take our baby by myself, but I just couldn’t do it.
“However, now that Lara is four months old, I find it easier to do things, like take her out of her bed and put her in a chair. Her neck is stronger now and she’s growing very fast.
With no arms of her own, Dejana has to find other ways of doing what other parents take for granted, such as feeding or dressing their child.
She uses her feet for many tasks, including preparing a bottle and even taking Lara out of her crib – which she describes as her “biggest fear”, but urges others to “not limit themselves”.
In a video, the mom shows how she puts Lara in a baby carrier using only her feet, claiming that she is learning “everything she needs to learn” for her daughter.
Dejana can also use her chin and shoulder to open objects, as well as her fingers and hands.
In another video, we see her carrying her daughter’s stroller up the stairs with Marko.
The “superhero” mom can also change her daughter using only her feet and toes, as seen in another clip on her TikTok.
The mom said, “When I feed her now, I just need my husband’s help to put her on a pillow and into my legs. I can do a lot on my own, but it still takes longer.”
The family avoids certain things to make life easier, such as cooking. They also get help with cleaning the house.
Dejana says: “We don’t cook: we always eat out, in a restaurant or someone else’s kitchen. We also have a woman we pay to do the housework and who helps us for two hours a day with Lara, especially in the evenings.”
Before becoming a mother, Dejana, originally from Serbia, was known on TikTok for her paintings, which she creates with her feet. But she was blown away by the kind messages about her parenting skills, with Internet users calling her a “superwoman”.
The mom insists that this is their “normal” life and that they don’t do anything special.
She says: “Yes, we’ve been surprised by the kind messages about our parents: ‘Yes, we’ve been surprised by the number of people following us. This was never our goal, but with sport, painting, and raising children, we’ve gained a lot of publicity and we’re very grateful.
“We’re very happy to have the opportunity to inspire others by not doing anything special, just documenting our normal lives and showing how we do things our way.
Social network users were overcome with emotion as they watched the videos, and many of them – including parents – took to the comments section to congratulate the mother on sharing her life with them.
Carla Hughes said, “And sometimes I think I have hard days as a mom: “And sometimes I think I have hard days as a mom. Well done Mum, you’re amazing.
Tammy Mae said, “What an incredible woman!”
June Samantha said, “You’re superwoman, honestly, you’re amazing.”
Zara said, “What a lucky child with such a brave mother! “What a lucky child with such a brave mother”.
Alisha Lee said, “It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”
Laney Rose said, “You are the definition of a superhero. It’s beautiful and amazing.”