Rose Siggins

An exceptionally challenging physical condition did not prevent Rose Siggins from leading a full life, which included marriage, a fulltime career and two children, and briefly enjoying national fame as an actor on "American Horror Story: Freak Show" (FX, 2014-15). Born Rose Marie Homan in Pueblo, Colorado Siggins had sacral agenesis, a congenital disorder that caused abnormal fetal development of the lower spine. Given the choice to remove her non-functioning legs or consign their daughter to a wheelchair, Siggins' parents had her legs amputated; she would later state the removal of the limbs granted her a more normal childhood. Siggins used a skateboard as her primary method of transportation, though in her teenaged years, she developed an interest in cars, and learned to not only rebuilt them but adapt them to allow her to drive them. Siggins would eventually earn a bachelor's degree in Automotive Management, and worked at an auto parts store, where in 1997, she met her husband, Dave Siggins. Two years later, the couple was married, and Siggins later gave birth to a son and a daughter - a remarkable feat, given that no individual with her condition had ever carried a child to term that did not also have sacral agenesis. Siggins' remarkable existence - which, by the early 21st century, also found her caring for her father, who suffered from Alzheimers, and mentally challenged brother, in addition to raising her own family - was documented on several television programs and documentaries, including the UK series "Extraordinary People" (Channel 5, 2005). In 2014, Siggins was cast in the fourth season of "American Horror Story" as Legless Suzi, a sideshow performer in a traveling carnival. Though largely a background player, Siggins' remarkable abilities captured the attention of viewers, who made her a favorite among the cast. On December 7, 2015, Siggins was admitted to a hospital in Denver to remove kidney stones; complications from a secondary infection led to her death on December 12.