US Marine Decides to Walk Across the United Kingdom Before Amputating Leg
Here is a pretty cool story about a US Marine who was seriously injured in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan and before having her leg amputated decided to walk across the UK with Prince Harry cheering her on:
But among the small group of warriors drawing breath at the special reception laid on for them, none should feel more proud than Kirstie Ennis, an Afghan veteran like Harry, and the sole woman to take part in the 72-day expedition.
She is lucky to be alive. Surgeons have practically rebuilt her in the course of 38 separate operations. She has somehow covered the extraordinary distance on a leg so damaged and painful that her medical team insists it should be amputated – and it will be removed once today’s final agonising mission is complete.
It is just three years since the slender blonde was told she would never walk again. In fact, so exemplary is Kirstie’s determination that she and the Prince have forged a remarkable bond in the past few weeks, when Harry joined 24-year-old Kirstie and the other walkers on their journey. [Daily Mail]
You can read the rest at the link, but I wish Kirstie all the best as she continues her recovery from her injuries
“Miraculously, she survived, but without a jaw and missing half her face, destroyed when her 50-calibre machine gun smashed through the left side on impact. Then there were the smashed legs and arms, the brain and spinal damage.”
Jesus. WOW. This is a real testiment to modern medicine too. Missing half of her face and her entire jaw? She looks great! Unbelieveable.
She’s a winner. Unlike those who can’t get over losing a job and getting evicted.
She’s showing how to pick yourself up by your own bootstraps. What an awesome testimony to her parents and her own self-discipline.
That’s Prince Harry? All the drugs and partying took its toll.
With winter coming, she had better hop to it.
Anyway…
With typical media hyperbole, “without a jaw and missing half her face” is actually a big gash on her chin.
!Graphic!
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/help-a-wounded-marine-s-family#/
I am further suspicious over the need to amputate a leg that is functional enough to walk across the UK.
She got banged up and she seems to be doing things instead of sitting around moping… so good for her… but this smells like another manufactured hero story… and, as the modern world works, one has to suspect if there is not a fame and fortune motive behind this.
These days, there must be due diligence before congradulating anyone on a smooth shyt… especially if the media hypes it.
“With typical media hyperbole, “without a jaw and missing half her face” is actually a big gash on her chin.”
Interesting. I’ve seen some serious media hyperbole, but this has to take the cake.
“I am further suspicious over the need to amputate a leg that is functional enough to walk across the UK.”
I was thinking the same. At first I thought perhaps necrotizing fasciitis, but if that was the case they would’t let it go long enough for a 72 day expeditionary walk! 😯
It’s in England. There was probably a 72-day wait to see the doctor…
@3: Prince Harry can do some eye rolling 🙄 things at times, but out of all the royals I like him the best. You think any of the rest them could handle a real deployment to the Stan? He has also remained heavily involved in veteran causes.
@4: Chickenhead good find, she was definitely seriously hurt, but the article definitely exaggerated the extent of the injuries. It will be interesting to see in a few months if she actually does amputate the leg.
@6: 😀
She certainly played along with the whole thing in the media.
It will be interesting to see if they remove her leg (anctually part of her leg below the knee).
“her medical team insists it should be amputated”
I find this statement hard to believe. Doctors may present this as an option to reduce cronuc pain and/or increase mobility with modern prosthetic limbs (if there is someone who will pay the amazing price for them) but unless there is some life-threatening reason, they generally do not insist on irreversable mutilation… as, among other reasons, there is a psycological component of a missing limb they are not prepared to deal with.
Prince Harry is awesome… and even the crazy stuff he does isn’t so crazy when understood in context.
…but, of course, his biological father is a hard-charger as well so it all makes sense.
It’s not a popular thing to say in polite company but Diana was certainly a bit of a slag both during and after her marriage.