Happy 30th Ampuversary!

30 years ago Meat Loaf was number one in the UK charts with ‘I'd anything for love (but I won’t do that)’, with M People, Take That and Haddaway in the top 10. It’s almost doesn’t feel that long ago, but a lot has changed.

A lot changed for me 30 years ago too, in what I like to call my ‘sliding doors’ moment. I was supposed to be a hairdresser, and was on my way to college, where I’d already been studying for a year. I used to catch the train there - it was a bit of a quirky station. There was no bridge to get from one platform to the other, so you had to cross the tracks. It just became like crossing the road and you didn't think too much about it.

It was a cold October morning (like most October mornings in the UK!), and I had got off my train at Farnborough North Station in the south of England. As with every other morning, I needed to get to the other side of the station, and this morning I was the first at the little gate that would allow access across the track. A few people pushed the gate open and started crossing the track, as our train was leaving the station. What none of us saw, as our view was obstructed by the departing train, was the fast train travelling at 65 miles an hour coming from the opposite direction.

It was right in front of my eyes, and I vividly remember the red and blue stripes that ran down the side of the train, and I was almost touching it with my face. In pure reflex, I threw myself backwards, but as I did, my right leg went under the train and was eventually found half a mile up the track.

My body went into shock. It almost shut down, and I didn’t register any pain – adrenaline is an amazing thing! I remember it all very clearly and I tried to sit up. Other travellers decided it was safest to move me off the tracks and to the platform and they called for an ambulance. I still have some very clear and defining moments from that time, including providing a detailed description of where to find contact phone numbers for my parents (I was 17 and it was before the time of mobile phones!).

My leg was too badly damaged to reattach it, and the risk of infection was high with it being a traumatic amputation. My life had changed forever. I was now to live my life as a person with a disability.

But life carried on. I was in hospital for two months, and had my first prosthetic for Christmas. The following autumn, I went back to college, as standing up all day being a hairdresser was no longer a viable option for me. Although having fabulous hair is still important to me!

A lot has happened since then, and don't worry, I'm not going to talk you through year by year but, life is pretty good. I have an amazing husband, two fantastic (and sometimes slightly frustrating!) sons, and a silly chocolate Labrador. My role at Business Disability Forum allows me to work with so many amazing people, from people in our networks, colleagues and our fantastic podcast guest, and I am so grateful for this.

But if I could go back in time, would I do what I need to do to keep my leg? Yes!

Would I change what my life has bought me? No chance! But even after all this time, I still mourn for that 17 year old Lucy whose life changed in an instant. And that’s ok, I’m allowed to.

30 years of being an amputee comes with challenges. I’ve had 30 years of chronic pain, and back problems, so it's not certainly not a course of action I would recommend. But I wanted to mark this day to recognise how far I've come.

My aim is not to inspire anyone, but to raise awareness that most of us have gone through a number of life defining moments and these shape the person that we are today. They may not all be as dramatic as being hit by a train going 65mph, we may not have the physical scars, but events mould us into who we are, and this is why we are all unique.

Well done, you’ve done alright. And Happy 30th Ampuversary Lucy