STEP CHANGE

AS THE Paralympics have grown in popularity, amputees have often been portrayed as superhuman – but the reality for most is very different.

At the largest specialist centre for amputees in Scotland, staff see the everyday struggles of those who have lost a limb.

The centre’s prosthetics can transform lives – and a new BBC documentary follows the emotional journey of four patients who have lost legs but are now able to move on.

WestMARC, the West of Scotland Mobility and Rehabilitation Centre, have a caseload of more than 42,000 wheelchair users and their prosthetics service have 3500 patients.

The centre have been treating Iona Hay for nine years after her left leg was amputated to remove a cancerous tumour when she was only five.

Her diagnosis came only a year after her mother died from the disease.

Iona has just turned 14 and those treating her know it is an age when kids become more self-conscious.

Prosthetist Alison Morton said it is important to consider how children are feeling mentally as well as physically.

She said: “There are certain ages that are milestones in their development and how they feel about their limb. One of those is when they reach high school and puberty, when looks and how people perceive them are important.”

As Iona is still growing, she gets a new leg every six months. She has several prosthetics for different activities and sports, being a keen hockey player, dancer and gymnast. She said: “I have so many legs, when I am 20, I will probably have about 100.” Far from being embarrassed by her prosthetic, she has embraced it, just as she has life. She said: “It makes me feel proud to be different, someone unique that isn’t just an ordinary person. It also makes me more determined.“Iona doesn’t feel self-conscious about her leg. She said: “That is who I am, so I accept that and let other people accept that. They can say what they want but this is me.” Andy McLeod found the experience of losing a limb heart-rending. Now 24, he was always an adrenaline junkie and has a degree in adventure tourism management. He was an avid cyclist and his leg was severed when he was hit by a speeding car near Fort William. He said: “When people came to help me, my leg was lying 10 paces away.” Andy was in