A woman who became a quadruple amputee after a devastating sepsis infection is looking forward to a Christmas of joyful firsts, thanks to the remarkable gift of a hand transplant.
A Life Changed on Holiday
Kim Smith, 64, from Milton Keynes in Buckinghamshire, had her hands and legs amputated in 2017. This followed a severe infection which developed into sepsis while she was on holiday in Alicante, Spain. The former hairdresser's life was irrevocably altered, leaving her dependent on others for daily tasks she once took for granted.
The Gift of Independence
After being placed on a UK waiting list for a double hand transplant, Kim received a new, functioning left hand earlier this year. Although a subsequent 14-hour operation for a right hand was unsuccessful, her new left hand has restored a precious level of autonomy. 'This year, I will be able to help prepare the Boxing Day dinner and open my own Christmas presents,' Kim said with excitement.
She described past Christmases where she had to sit and watch others, but now anticipates being an active participant in family festivities. 'I can't wait to be able to be with my family and be able to do things with my hand... Now I'm so much more independent than I was before. It's incredible,' she added.
Raising Vital Awareness
Kim, who is an ambassador for Sepsis Research FEAT and a volunteer for the UK Sepsis Trust, is using her experience to educate others. She starkly warns that 'Sepsis either kills you, leaves you as a quad amputee or, at the very least, leaves you with post-sepsis syndrome.' Her mission is to ensure people recognise the signs and seek immediate treatment.
She also highlights a crucial aspect of the donation process that many overlook. 'I didn't know that, even though we are automatically opted in for donation, your family will be asked for their consent to donate your limbs,' Kim explained. She urges everyone to discuss their wishes with loved ones, stating firmly, 'My family know that if they can use anything of mine, they can have it.'
For Kim, this advocacy work has been transformative. 'Raising awareness of sepsis saved me from my dark depression because I could see people were listening to me and I know I'm helping,' she shared.
This Christmas, Kim and her husband Steve will celebrate at their favourite restaurant. She is also looking forward to practical joys, like using her new designer handbag and shopping for new wedding and engagement rings, as her transplanted hand is slightly larger. Each day brings new milestones, like using a blow-dryer brush for the first time in years. 'I picked it up and thought, 'Oh my God, I can actually do it.' It's a lot of firsts at the minute,' she said.
Kim's final message is a powerful plea for empathy and action regarding organ and limb donation: 'If you were dying and needed a liver or heart, you would want the donation. If you're in the situation where your life is gone, let someone else have your organs and let them live on. If limbs could be donated as well, that would change somebody's life like mine.'
