James' Story

Complications at Birth

I was born at 28 weeks with my identical twin Brother, Tom, due to a rare condition called 'Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome'. This condition lead to me developing blood clots in both my legs. With severe damage to both my legs, I lost my left leg below knee at the age of 18 months old.

We were given very miniscule chances that we were going to survive, let alone have a 'normal' life. Due to being to premature, there was a very high chance of brain damage, cerebral palsy and respiratory issues.

Defying the Odds

The odds were stacked against us. We were told that we would most likely never go a mainstream school, feed ourselves and fall victim to a lot of illnesses.

However, we defied those odds, had our journey through school together, graduated university and are now living our happiest and healthiest lives.

Rehabilitation

Due to all the complications at birth, it came with a lot of surgery and recoveries. By the age of 20, I had 30+ operations, which added up to about 5 years of my life where I was recovering either on crutches or a wheelchair.

This was incredible tough for me growing up at school - I was missing a lot of work, feeling constantly behind and missing out on even the simple pleasures like playing football in the playground and going out with friends.

The biggest recovery came when I was 20, when I had to make the toughest decision of my life. Due to the pain I was experiencing in my right leg, I made the electoral decision to have my right leg amputated, in the hope of living a more fulfiling life.

Osseointegration

Osseointegration is a procedure that involves hollowing out the bone and inserting a metal implant below the knee and would act as a permanent prosthetic.

The surgery was only available in Australia and wasn't covered by the NHS. Therefore, I had to fundraise £63,000 if I wanted to to live the life that I wanted.

Find more about my fundraising here

The procedure was a risk as I was patient number 501 and the long term effects were unknown.

Achievements

Today, at the age of 27, I am living life as a double amputee and living life to the fullest. Although, I have been through enough challenges and battles to fill 2 life times, I am determined to keep going and prove to myself that my 'disability' doesn't hold me back.

I have completed multiple mountain hikes, a triathlon and even became the first double amputee to complete the 'World Toughest 400m Race' also known as the Red Bull 400.

These achievements are something I am so proud of but also make me want to keep going as I wonder 'what else can I do?'

My life's journey so far has taught me that nothing in life is permanent, to never give up and to always be resilient. I want to share this message to anyone that will listen, so they too, can achieve their dreams.

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