Mum's 'excruciating agony' as she loses foot after fall on stairs holding baby

08 December 2023 , 16:22

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Joanna Barry was an avid runner before her horrific injury (Image: Jam Press)

A healthy mum had her foot amputated and nearly lost her life after she missed a step on the staircase and tumbled to the bottom whilst holding her baby.

Joanna Barry, from Cheshire, was left lying on the floor in agony after her fall but didn’t expect the accident to have such a devastating impact on the rest of her life. The 35-year-old had broken her bones so badly the blood supply below her leg was cut off and paramedics couldn’t find a pulse in her foot.

Although medics battled to save her foot and Joanna had surgery over six years to stop it being amputated, she eventually took the decision to lose it to stop the agonising surgeries. Her son Matthew, now aged seven, escaped without harm from the freak accident, with brave Joanna now “on a mission to raise awareness”.

The mum has now had to learn to walk using a prosthetic leg (Jam Press Vid)

Joanna hopes she can recover enough to be able to run around with Matthew in the park (Jam Press)

She said: “I was in such excruciating agony and I didn't want to leave it - but I couldn't believe it when they said my leg was practically dying. All I did was fall down the stairs, I didn't think for one minute this would change my life forever. The paramedics couldn't find a pulse, so I was rushed into emergency surgery, where they luckily saved my foot.”

Although taking the decision to amputate her foot was a tough one, Joanna hasn’t looked back. The former chef explained: "Instantly, my quality of life changed - in more ways than one. I finally felt relief for the first time in years, but I knew that I wouldn't be able to run anymore or spend precious time with my kids like I used to. But it was vindicating - I don't regret it one bit.”

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The devastating injury left Joanna in and out of hospital for years (Jam Press)

X-ray photos revealed the extent of the extreme damage (Jam Press)

Now, five years later, she's received a prosthetic leg and although she hoped to be back running around the park with her kids, the pain has sadly come back worse than before. On 18 December 2023, she will undergo surgery again to hopefully put an end to her excruciating situation.

Joanna added: "I cannot run or walk anymore and I live in my wheelchair. I hope my next surgery will correct this pain I've been having. It's been a tough journey, but I'm on a mission to raise awareness with my story. No matter how small the injury, always get it checked out before it's too late. I could've lost my life if I hadn't acted when I did and while I still have a long way to go with my recovery, I hope to be a voice for others. It's been a journey of resilience and triumph."

Amy Walters