My name is Eldiara, and I am a 24-year-old cancer patient, artist, and amputee. Since the age of 19, I've been surviving a late diagnosis of one of the world’s rarest diseases - synovial sarcoma - an aggressive soft tissue cancer. At 22, I lost my right arm during my third battle with this disease, when several inoperable tumors left me with no safe choice but to amputate my dominant arm above the elbow. I’ve been living singlehandedly since October 2024. 

I do not receive financial support. I pay for my own insurance, medical bills, cost of recovery, rent, etc. I’ve managed to live independently, but it’s far from easy as a disabled person, and insurance does not cover the cost of most prosthetic arms - especially the kind needed as an above-elbow amputee.

I’ve been a cancer patient since I was a teenager, and developed a unique relationship with mortality; one that I try to reflect in my work. There is beauty in being loved and known after you’re gone; I often find comfort in that knowledge when I feel terrified of prematurely leaving this world. I am a relentless optimist, but I also know that I have a history of recurrence, an unfixable fusion gene responsible for causing malignant cells, & the makeup of my particular cancer cells is unusually aggressive. The reality is that my cancer will likely continue to return, as it has several times in the past, and I only have so many limbs to sacrifice.

Each specimen that I use is sustainably and reputably sourced. I raise my own moths as well; only ever using them after they have passed on from natural causes. Learning how to work delicately with only one arm isn’t easy, but it is good practice. I am a lifelong critter lover: worm composter, dog trainer, spider rescuer, turtle crossing guard, etc, so I want to be sure I’m honoring the tiny lives involved in my art. All proceeds from my art go towards basic survival expenses and my continued independence.