...Born without arms in January 1961, Seifert is a thalidomide survivor. Her mother was prescribed the drug, which was first marketed in the late 50s in West Germany under the name Contergan, to counteract the effects of morning sickness, with devastating consequences. Seifert was one of up to 7,000 born in Germany with phocomelia, or malformation of the limbs, 60% of whom died...After years of neglect by authorities and by Grünenthal, the company that manufactured the drug – which worldwide left 10,000 infants without limbs, half of whom died – the German government’s decision in 2013 to considerably raise pension payments to the victims was widely hailed as a victory for those like Seifert, who has spent years campaigning for fair compensation. Grünenthal had paid an additional €50m (£37m) into the fund in 2009...