Ruislip & Eastcote & Northwood Gazette
Teacher who lost all four of her limbs feels ‘lucky to be alive’
SCHOOL RAISES FUNDS FOR BIONIC ARMS FOR ‘WOMAN OF COURAGE’ KATH
A primary school teacher who lost all four limbs in a quadruple amputation says she is “lucky to be alive”. Kath Tregenna, who teaches in West London, came down with a fever in the run-up to Christmas three years ago but it became so severe that she called 111 and was admitted to hospital.
There, she suffered between seven and 11 cardiac arrests and her family were told to prepare for the worst. Kath, who teaches at the International School of London, had developed sepsis which is fatal if left untreated. The body overreacts to typical infections such as flu and begins to attack its own tissue and organs, as reported by SWNS.
Every year it affects 250,000 people and kills 52,000, according to the UK Sepsis Trust – a fatality rate more than bowel, breast and prostate cancer and road accidents combined. For 48-year-old Kath, doctors had no choice but to perform a quadruple amputation, both her legs below the knee and both her arms below the elbow, to stop the sepsis spreading through her body.
Despite spending a month in intensive care, throughout her recovery Kath knew she wanted to return to primary school teaching. She was given two prosthetic arms with hooks that were heavy and unsuitable for her job, which she did for five years before catching the deadly blood infection. However, her school fundraised enough money to cover the costs of a 3D-printed Hero Arm from the UK tech company Open Bionics. Kath was able to become more independent and a few months later, she got another prosthetic fitted on her other arm.
In total she spent 18 months in recovery and she has credited the technology for giving back her independence. Upon receiving the national Woman of Courage award, awarded by Lorraine Kelly, Kath said she was lucky to be alive and thanked the medics who saved her life, her school who welcomed her back to work, and Open Bionics who created her new
Every day I feel lucky... I hope people can see how having a positive mindset is absolutely essential
arms.
Kath said: “I feel proud and honoured to have won the Woman of Courage award. Every day I feel lucky and extremely grateful to be alive, and a moment like this really does help show it’s possible to overcome challenges and turn adversity into something positive.
“I hope people can see how having a positive mindset is absolutely essential.”
The Women of the Year awards aims to celebrate the achievements of inspiring women who have impacted their communities and industries.
Kath added: “I’m grateful to the Women of the Year awards for highlighting my story and hope that it reflects the fact that when barriers in society are removed, women with disabilities can follow their passion and thrive.”
Kath’s arms were customised to her shape and matched her individual prosthetic requirements and design preferences.
Unlike the prosthetic hooks that she was prescribed – which had limited functionality and were heavy to wear – Kath’s new arms use myoelectric sensors which detect muscle movements in the arm and convert them into intuitive hand movements.
Samantha Payne, co-founder of Open Bionics, said: “We’re incredibly proud to be a small part of Kath’s story. It is fantastic to see Lorraine Kelly and the organisers recognise Kath as a strong female role model. Kath’s determination to live her best life after very nearly losing hers shows what can be achieved when you don’t lose hope and think positively.”
Based on the idea of “turning disabilities into superpowers”, Open Bionics was founded by Joel Gibbard MBE and Samantha Payne MBE to develop affordable, assistive devices that enhance the human body.