Qiao Aalbers, a Chinese man who was born with no thumbs, has gained social media fame for turning his rare condition into creativity, the South China Morning Post reported. The 26-year-old was born with just eight fingers, a condition often caused by genetic factors or infections during pregnancy. Now, his videos of doing difficult tasks without thumbs are going viral online.
As per the report, Qiao was four months old when he was adopted by a Dutch couple. He was then raised in the Netherlands. As a child, he felt insecure about his difference, facing curious and sometimes insensitive questions. But extensive travels across Europe helped Qiao build confidence and embrace his uniqueness.
Watch the video here:
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Qiao performs everyday tasks like opening water bottles, pouring drinks, and handling objects with his four fingers. Social media users also joked about his ability to easily reach into potato chip cans.
He shares his life on social media (@qiaodi_lucky_8 on Instagram) and works as an English teacher. In one of the videos, he humorously mentioned getting a 20% discount on manicures and claimed that he can slip out of handcuffs easily.
He considers his condition a "gift" and said he wouldn't change it even if thumbs "magically appeared". Qiao proudly stated that he's living proof that "thumbs aren't essential".
He said, "If I would wake up tomorrow with thumbs, I'm not keeping them." He added, "I spent 26 years getting used to living without thumbs, I'm not going to spend the next 26 getting used to living with thumbs."
Social media reaction
"I'm a professional magician who unfortunately injured both of my thumbs. I haven't been able to perform magic the way I used to for a year because of it. But this video reminded me that there's always a way and that I should be grateful they're still here. So I just want to say, thank you for that," one user wrote.
"I did not even notice. I thought you were just telling a random story," one user said.
Meanwhile, one user jokingly wrote, "Naw bro if i woke up with wings or tails im keeping them. If i have extra arm ill keep it."
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