A Chinese man who was born without thumbs has gone mega viral for his ingenious life hacks that prove creativity can outshine limitations.
26-year-old Qiao Aalbers was born in China with just eight fingers: a rare congenital condition often linked to genetic factors or infections during pregnancy.
Adopted by a Dutch couple at just four months old, he grew up in the Netherlands, where his missing thumbs once made him feel isolated and insecure.
“I used to feel different,” he said. “As a child, I didn’t like being stared at.”
Over the years, however, Aalbers transformed what others saw as a disability into an internet sensation, going massively viral under the nickname “Lucky 8.”
An influencer born without thumbs has gone massively viral after showing the ingenious life hacks he uses everyday
Image credits: TikTok/qiaodilucky8
Before becoming an internet sensation with hundreds of millions of views, Aalbers began posting short videos of himself performing everyday tasks effortlessly despite having no thumbs.
In one viral clip, he shows how his unique anatomy allows his hand to slip into spaces others would have trouble with, by slipping into a narrow vase and scrubbing it clean in seconds.
Image credits: TikTok/qiaodilucky8
In another, he slides his hand inside a tall tube of chips, grabs one, and pulls it out with precision.
“I envy your chip-eating dominance. I really want to give you a thumbs-up,” one viewer commented. Aalbers simply responded playfully by putting on a five-finger glove and raising it to the camera.
In another clip, he demonstrates how he can twist off a water bottle cap, use chopsticks, balance difficult objects, and even spark a lighter with ease.
“You do not have to feel sorry for me,” he told his followers in a joint video with his girlfriend. “I can do many things, like escape handcuffs or get a 20 percent discount on manicures.”
When asked about prosthetics, Aalbers was clear. “I have spent 26 years adapting to life without thumbs. I do not want to spend another 26 adapting to having them,” he said.
Image credits: TikTok/qiaodilucky8
Despite the humor, he admits that life without thumbs isn’t always easy.
Tasks like untying ribbons or hitchhiking have proven to be tricky, and the stares from strangers sometimes make him anxious. But rather than letting it define him, he has learned to find strength in difference.
Aalbers’ creativity has earned him over 30,000 followers online and turned him into a symbol of resilience
Image credits: TikTok/qiaodilucky8
He currently lives in Shanghai, where he works as an English tutor and continues to post new content with his girlfriend.
When asked about what motivated him to become a content creator, he explained that it had less to do with himself and more to do with others.
“I could give you the typical ‘I was insecure, I wanted to feel confident’ answer, but the truth is that I simply wanted to make people laugh,” he said, giving his own version of a thumbs up: making a heart figure with his index and middle fingers.
Image credits: TikTok/qiaodilucky8
“I’m the living example that thumbs are optional.”
The combination of charm, resilience, and a sense of humor continues to attract fans, with his videos being full of uplifting comments.
“You are handsome and have a great personality,” one of his fans wrote.
“You should be proud of your superpower. You would be perfect as a hand jewellery model.”
Another asked, “How do you type on a keyboard? Can you play piano or guitar? You’re just so interesting.”
The influencer’s condition, thumb aplasia, occurs in approximately one every 100,000 births
Image credits: TikTok/qiaodilucky8
What makes Aalbers’ story even more remarkable is how rare his condition is.
A complete or partial absence of thumbs at birth is a condition known as thumb aplasia, and while it affects approximately one in 100,000 births, a total absence of the digit is even rarer.
The thumb is responsible for nearly half of a hand’s total function, making its absence one of the most challenging limb differences to adapt to.
It is so crucial, in fact, that some doctors recommend surgical reconstruction, known as pollicization, where an index finger is surgically reshaped into a thumb. But Aalbers rejected that path entirely.
Image credits: TikTok/qiaodilucky8
Instead, he built his own methods, such as relying on modified grips and unconventional hand movements that allow him to function independently.
In interviews, he’s been asked if he’d ever want thumbs, but his stance remains firm: “If I woke up with them, I’d probably get rid of them,” he said.
“You win.” Viewers praised the influencer for his resilience and creativity
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