A woman who lost part of her leg after a taxi crash in New York is planning to set up a charity to help fellow amputees.
Sian Green, 25, of Blaby, had to have the lower half of her left leg amputated after she was hit by a taxi while on holiday in Manhattan, in August last year.
Sian, who now uses a prosthetic leg, has spoken to the Mercury about her plans to set up a charity to help other people who have lost a limb by raising money for specialist support and equipment.
"The way I look at it, I've lost a limb, not my life," said Sian, who recently completed her second year studying towards a degree in fashion buying at De Montfort University.
"I tell myself every day it could've been so much worse, I could've lost my life.
"There is no such word as can't in my opinion and I want to prove that to other people in my position who have lost a limb.
"I'm going to raise money to help amputees who need specialist care.
"I want to help them realise they can get their normality back, they can live their life again."
Sian was on holiday in New York when a cab lost control, hit her and severed her foot.
Two months later, Sian had returned to university.
"I really wanted things to be as normal as possible," she said. "I loved my course before the accident, so why did that have to change?
"I think everyone would've been more shocked if I'd said I didn't want to go back because that's me – I'm a very positive person."
Sian received a prosthetic leg in November.
"The clinic was so supportive and the staff made it seem like what they could do was limitless," she said. Sian now has three prosthetic legs, one for everyday life, one for swimming and her "active leg".
"The staff at the clinic have become like my second family, they made what happened so much easier," she said.
"Not everybody gets that help. That's why I want to set up a charity."
Sian took her first footsteps since the accident in November.
"I remember I thinking, 'wow, I'm actually walking', I broke down with relief," she said.
Sian learned the scale of her injury as she was in the ambulance and a paramedic said to a colleague 'we have a possible amputee'.
"At that point, I thought my life was over, I was ready to give up on everything," Sian said.
"When I initially woke up after my leg had been amputated, I thought of my boyfriend. Is he still going to be with me? Will he still find me attractive?
"Then I thought of my family and friends – would they cope?"
Sian, who is now engaged to her boyfriend, William Lord, said: "They have coped, they've been great."
There have been personal psychological barriers, however.
She said: "I can't use certain perfumes, or body cream because they take me back to when it happened. The trauma is still there.
"Some days I feel a bit down still but my family and friends have been so positive.
"I'm shocked with how far I've come, I'm proud of myself."
Sian's sister, Stacey Green, 29, of Leicester, said: "I'm extremely proud of her but not shocked.
"That's her, she dust's herself off and gets on with it."
