A TADLEY woman who lost her leg is speaking out about her experiences to help raise awareness of the issues surrounding amputation.

Diane Brown lost her right leg in 1996 following many years of health problems.

She had her first operation at the age of 13 after suffering from cartilage damage, but the damage became progressively worse.

She underwent 30 operations on her leg and was hoping that the condition had stabilised when, in 1994, she was involved in a car accident which further inflamed the limb.

She said: “After that my leg just kept on going dead. I tried to carry on for as long as I could but something obviously wasn’t right.”

Surgeons amputated the leg above the knee in 1996 after discovering a potentially dangerous blood clot behind the knee.

Diane, 57, said: “It was really hard to come to terms with. I won’t pretend that it’s easy – sometimes I still have really down days.

“But there is support out there, it’s just knowing where to find it.”

Diane, of Mortimer Gardens, Tadley, has now become an ambassador for Limbcare, a charity which assists amputees and the limb impaired.

She said: “It’s a fantastic charity. It’s really a support group which is about empathy, not sympathy.

“It’s also somewhere people can find out about practical support available to them.

“Attitudes have changed a lot in recent years – for a long time it felt like there wasn’t much support at all after you get out of hospital.”

Diane, whose husband Denis, 57, is her carer, is helping promote Limbcare by handing out leaflets at Basingstoke hospital. She will also be taking part in future fundraising events.

The charity was set up by Ray Edwards, MBE, who lost all four limbs after contracting septicaemia in 1987.

It acts as a support network for amputees and the families and carers of those who have lost limbs.

For more information or to make a donation visit http://www.limbcare.org or contact Diane on diane.limbcare@outlook.com.