Mirror Image

Two women who have battled with their physical appearance show us that it’s possible to learn to love yourself despite what you see reflected in a mirror

- NATALYA MOLOK

'Life is too short to worry about our imperfections'

Rosalina Oktavia, 28, amputee model

Rosalina looks like any 28-year-old model – lithe, fresh-faced and all smiles. Greeting me on the morning of our shoot wearing a slogan tee and blue jeans, nothing would give away that underneath her denim ensemble, Rosalina’s left leg was not made up of sinew, bone and muscle but a 79-cm-long metal prosthesis instead.

Years earlier, a doctor’s negligence changed her life. While it could have led to a handicap, it spurred Rosalina to shift the conversation surrounding how and what a woman, and specifically a fashion model, should look like.

“It all began in 2009 when I had a motorbike accident and injured my kneecap. It was a minor knock that didn’t give me much trouble, I could still walk normally, climb up the stairs and even run without pain,” she recalls.

“It wasn’t until six years later in 2015 that I had some soreness in the area and decided to get it checked. The doctor immediately recommended that I undergo surgery to repair a torn tendon in my left knee, which I agreed to.”

What Rosalina thought would be a routine surgical procedure would ultimately lead to a drastic outcome: The loss of her limb. Nothing was amiss following the operation. In fact, she felt alert and strong despite the side-effects of the anaesthesia. However, when she still could not feel her toes a few days later, she raised the alarm.

“I was scared because I should have fully recovered from the surgery by then, but my left leg was numb, [there was] no feeling in it whatsoever. My doctor suggested that I transfer to another hospital for further treatment as he said there was nothing [else] he could do,” recalls Rosalina.