DAPHNE, Ala. —For most artists, a medical diagnosis that requires the loss of both hands would be devastating, but six days after her hands and feet were amputated, Becky Guinn was already seeking ways for her creativity to flourish.

Guinn’s determination and positive outlook allowed her to continue creating masterpieces, using prosthetic arms with hooks attached to the ends instead of her own hands. On Wednesday, Guinn shared her experiences and artwork with residents at Catherine Place, an assisted living facility in Daphne. Guinn’s visit to the assisted living center was part of her statewide tour of schools, “Hooked on Art.”

Guinn spent her career as a high school art teacher in north Alabama and continued teaching for a while after her feet and hands were amputated after a medical complication.

Guinn was hospitalized for a heart valve issue and was prescribed heparin, which should have helped her condition but instead triggered a rare reaction to the medication that caused thrombocytopenia.

“(Heparin) formed a clot instead of thinning my blood, so I have to (wear) prosthetic arms and two prosthetic legs. It was a tough time. I flatlined twice. The vascular surgeon told me it either takes your limbs or your life,” Guinn said. “He had seen six cases like mine and five (patients) were dead.”

Guinn didn’t spend much time mourning the loss of her limbs; she considers herself lucky to walk away with her life.

“I am pretty happy to be anywhere,” Guinn said.

Guinn said she could have given up and some days she still lacks motivation, but overall she has overcome her disability.

“Some days I just want to stay in bed and look like a starfish with short arms and short legs,” Guinn said.

“My goal was to get back to school and back to my students so they would know that there was life after dying; there is life after bad things.”

Guinn decided she could continue pursuing her dreams six days after her surgery when she realized she could write even though she no longer had hands.

“They brought a birthday card for me to sign for my daughter. I was able to write, and I said letters are symbols, draw the symbols, so I wrote ‘Love, Mom,’ on her birthday card. That is when I knew I would be able to forge ahead,” Guinn said.

Guinn creates most of her artwork using a technique she calls “finger-painting with a paintbrush.” She uses a special type of paper called yupo for watercolors; it is like plastic and allows her to push the paint around canvas to create her images. Someone sprays a combination of the three primary colors on the canvas, which she mixes and moves around to create flowers and landscapes.

Mendi Niblett, recreation coordinator at Catherine Place, thought Guinn could show residents that anything is possible — you just have to find the way.

“I think that a lot of our residents have lived a long full life and they don’t necessarily want to be here but they know that they need to be here because this is their time in life. I think what they can get from her is showing them that whatever happens to you in life, whether it is getting older or losing your limbs, that you can make a positive out of it,” Niblett said.

Ashley Raia, who assists Niblett with activities for the residents, said she also felt Guinn’s story would inspire the residents.

“Today we did watercolors and we have some residents who are just very hard on themselves. I think this will be good because it will show them that they need to be opened up to their own abilities and talents and know that nothing can stop them because nothing stopped her,” she said.

Residents were in awe of Guinn’s story and what she had overcome.

Resident Nell Brasher was impressed.

“It was overwhelming to meet someone who has the strength to take everything that she had to go through and come out so vibrant and so helpful and interesting. I am really impressed,” she said.

Dr. Bill Weaver said the presentation was “one of the most interesting and meaningful presentations” he ever heard.

Margaret Koster agreed.

“I thought she was wonderful to be able to do it with such a handicap … She is just great, and her talent goes along great too as far as I am concerned,” she said. 

Retired portrait painter Lillie May Allen was impressed by Guinn’s artwork, but she was more impressed by her outlook on life.

“You are a wonderful artist and talented,” she told Guinn.  “You exhibit something that we can all take a lesson from and that is your attitude. No matter what you do, it carries great weight.

“You can either win or lose with your attitude. It is important in all walks of life. I thank you for what you brought us.”

(Staff video by Shea Zirlott; edited by Thomas Boni)

Click here to access The Bulletin’s YouTube channel, The Bulletin Extra, for more videos.