Quadruple Amputee Walks Again After 5 Years
Doctors told Kim Smith that she would never walk again. This was in 2018 after Smith had lost all four of her limbs in a medical intervention after contracting sepsis while on holiday abroad. But in December 2023, she took her first steps in five years, thanks to her new prosthetic legs.
Smith was in Spain in November 2018 when a urinary tract infection became a blood infection, and then she was placed in a coma. She was airlifted back to the UK, where her limbs were amputated.
Smith's rehabilitation began at Queen Mary's Hospital in Roehampton, Southwest London, where she had made significant progress. While there, she could stand up again using parallel bars.
In an interview with the BBC, 62-year-old Smith said that when the doctors said she couldn't walk again, she was determined to prove them wrong. Smith said it felt incredible and surreal now that she could wander around her house in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England.
However, her new prosthetic legs didn't come without challenges. According to Smith, the prostheses take "a lot more energy" to use. She said she needs to swing her hips to move but relishes the challenge. After all, being able to stand and walk again after five years is a fantastic feat.
Smith looks forward to mastering the use of her prosthetic legs and reclaiming a bit more freedom.
