Kaitlyn: Before I got sick,
I was very sassy.
Which I mean,
I guess I still kind of am.
Kathi: I forget that she has no arms and legs
because she doesn't complain
and she gets things done.
Kaitlyn: If you want to see me go from this to this, then keep on watching.
Ready?
My name is Kaitlyn
and I'm 25 years old.
I contracted...
I contracted bacterial meningitis when I was 18.
And I ended up getting all of my limbs amputated.
So pretty much every morning,
I just put my legs on
my brother has to put on lotion first.
After I do like a couple of steps or
walk around a little bit that makes the suction start to work, I guess.
Kaitlyn: What was Kaitlyn like as a young child?
This is June 16th 1994.
And this is Kaitlyn Rebecca Marie.
Donald: Kaitlyn was adorable.
Kathi: She was just a lot of fun.
She'd get the whole family laughing at her funny giggle.
Kaitlyn: When I first started to feel sick,
I didn't really pay attention to it.
I wanted to go out and have fun.
Kaitlyn: You're going to hate this question.
What was Kaitlyn like as a teenager before her illness?
Donald: Kaitlyn was a handful.
She was very outgoing.
She was involved in things like dance and kickboxing.
She was a typical teenager,
she was a challenge.
She liked to go out
and have a good time with her friends
a little bit too much.
Kaitlyn: When I first noticed
my symptoms, I was super exhausted.
I didn't want to
go out and party and that was really weird.
Within those first 12 hours,
literally, my whole body started to turn purple
like right before my family's eyes.
It progressed very fast.
Ian: We were constantly being told that
they're doing everything they can,
but chances are not good, prepare yourself for the worst.
Donald: It is hopefully the peak of trauma
that I've ever experienced in my life.
Kaitlyn: The meningitis got into my bloodstream,
and pretty much cut off all circulation to my skin and limbs.
And so a lot of those surgeries,
I think I had like 22 in total,
was taking skin from areas of my body that weren't affected by the illness
and putting it on the affected areas
to help grow the skin back.
Ian: It was terrifying.
Kathi: My memory of Kaitlyn's illness actually gives me PTSD
if I have to think about it.
Kaitlyn: And then the disease kept
just eating away up my arm
and they kept having to cut it shorter
and shorter and shorter.
Kaitlyn: I ended up getting all of my limbs amputated.
Over the years,
it's become more real,
that my life has changed a lot.
There's so many ways that I changed how I do things.
I ended up just
shoving my face into food.
Kaitlyn: Don't forget the dipping ranch.
Acting like a lizard
and just kind of picking up popcorn with my tongue.
I end up pulling
my pillow down with my teeth.
It's taken a long time,
just accepting
my life as it is.
I think makeup changed the way that I
feel about myself
in the way of like,
when I look at myself in the mirror,
you know?
You want to see me go from this
to this, then keep on watching.
I wanted to start my YouTube channel
because I used to watch a lot of makeup tutorials.
That's when I became obsessed with makeup.
Today I am going to be doing my first ever
Halloween makeup tutorial.
I was like, that looks really fun as something that I could do.
Donald: To go through an experience
like this and come out as a healthy, happy, strong, wonderful, beautiful individual.
And I totally admire her.
Kathi: I forget that she has no arms and legs
because she doesn't complain
and she gets things done.
Ian: My favorite thing about my sister is
just her inability to give up.
It's not that she refuses,
it's she can't give up.
And she just will push through anything and everything she has to,
to get where she needs to be.
And I feel like she is where she needs to be now.
Ian: What is beauty to you?
Kaitlyn: I think beauty to me is,
someone conquering something in their life
that feels bigger than them.
It's something more than looks,
it's something that you feel.