A “one in a million” amputee who was born with both legs bent backward is now dreaming of becoming a gymnast after undergoing a third successful surgery to save her left leg.
Seven-year-old Victoria Komada, from the city of Norwich in Norfolk, England, was born with a rare congenital deformity called bilateral tibial hemimelia, a condition that leads to deformed legs and missing bones.
Mom Marzena Drusewicz, 35, was initially told Victoria would need both legs amputated, but, in 2018, doctors in the United States came to her rescue, amputating only her right leg. The special surgery not only managed to save her one leg but also her dreams of becoming a professional gymnast. Since then, the school girl had been enjoying a normal childhood, until her left foot became twisted in June this year, leaving her in need of additional surgery in Austria.
The 10,000-pound (approx. US$13,000) operation was successful, and now the family is raising funds to pay the hospital bill.
Ms. Drusewicz said: “The operation was five hours ... I am very happy and grateful to the people who gave us the chance to save Victoria’s leg. Whether she'll need another operation depends on how she will grow over the next few years—but she has her heart set on being a gymnast.”
Back in 2018, when Victoria was just 3 years old, the family managed to raise 180,000 pounds (approx. US$230,000) with the help of friends and family and flew to the United States for special surgery.
They'd found a surgeon in Florida, Dr. Dror Paley, who performed two surgeries that saved her left leg and gave her the ability to walk for the first time, using prosthetics.
She had her first nine-hour operation on July 24, 2018, at the Paley Orthopedic and Spine Institute in West Palm Beach, Florida, in which her right leg was amputated above the knee and pins were put into her left leg before a fixator was attached. Over the following months, screws were twisted into Victoria’s legs every day to move the bones into the right position.
The second operation was on Nov. 13 that year where the bones in Victoria’s left leg were fused to strengthen the leg, and two days later she could walk again.
Now, four years have passed, and last month the young girl had to undergo surgery in Austria again. She’s currently recovering with her leg wrapped in plaster.
Victoria says she’s now feeling good, and that once she recovers completely, she’s looking forward to riding her bike and playing with friends.
To help her family raise funds for the hospital bill, Victoria’s classmates at St. Clements Hill Primary Academy put on a danceathon fundraiser on June 14, raising 6,000 pounds (approx. US$7,600).
Victoria and her mother were special guests at the event, which was partly organized by family friend Sarah Herbert, who helped rally support for the initial money-raising effort.
Ms. Herbert said: “We felt this gave us an opportunity to raise some money for her operation and recovery, and also gives the children a great opportunity to show an act of kindness and show that they really can make a difference in someone else’s life.”
