Woman Wants To Use Skin From Her Amputated Leg To Make A Handbag

A woman in the UK is about to have her leg amputated and she intends to use her own skin to make a handbag.

Joan, from Manchester, is getting ready to have her lower left leg surgically removed due to peripheral arterial disease  a circulatory condition in which narrowed blood vessels reduce blood flow to the limbs.

But the 55-year-old isn't letting her upcoming loss get her down -- quite the opposite. She has big plans for her leg  or more specifically the skin attached to it.

Joan wants to wear her skin where everyone can see it on her arm in the form of a handbag.


On her search for a designer willing to turn her dream into a reality, Joan approached to Sewport.com -- an online marketplace connecting brands and manufacturers -- who have taken her ~unusual~ request in their stride.

In an effort to connect her with designers willing to work with -- deep breaths -- HUMAN SKIN, Sewport have mocked up potential designs of the quirky accessory.

According to her written request, Joan has a budget of about $5,500 -- or £3,000 -- and is hoping for a medium-sized bag with a short strap.

"I know it is a bit odd and gross, and some might think I'm crazy, but it's my leg and I can’t bare [sic] the thought of it being left to rot somewhere. It's part of me and I want to keep it."
And the people at Sewport are totally chill about it all, writing on their website, "Before you say 'ew gross!', we've spoken with the woman and her reasoning behind it is actually understandable and very personal."

According to them, Joan was inspired after seeing a similar request from a woman who wanted a dress made from her mother’s hair. Plus, as Joan herself pointed out, parents often keep their baby's umbilical cords as a memento, and dead relative's ashes are stored on mantle pieces around the world.