Amputee who has defied odds using his past to help improve lives of others

Man is to give two talks in London as part of his new career path

When Liam McKelvie was diagnosed with meningococcal septicaemia – a rare form of meningitis – on the eve of his second birthday, doctors said his chance of survival was “zero”.

Thankfully the prediction was proven wrong, but in battling to stop the spread of the disease, surgeons had to amputate all four of the Dundonian’s limbs.

Liam, 22, has been defying the odds ever since.

The former Harris Academy pupil overcame the physical obstacles brought about by his disability, but after making the difficult decision to leave university in 2017 he was plunged into unemployment and his mental health plummeted.

Now reinvigorated, at the start of 2019 he launched a career as a motivational speaker through Zerolimbits, and his inspirational life story is being heard across the UK.

“If I did survive they claimed I’d be severely brain damaged and there was a possibility I wouldn’t be able to see, speak or hear,” said Liam.

“They had to amputate all four limbs. The right arm is through the elbow, the left arm is above (the elbow) and I have lost both legs below the knee.”

However he said he never let his disability hold him back as a youngster, adding: “I found my own way of doing things. It was trial and error, there were a few bumps, scrapes, trips to A&E. I considered myself to have quite a normal life.

“I can’t compare to life before. I can’t remember what it was like to have hands.”

After leaving school in 2014 Liam attended college before beginning an architecture degree at Dundee University, which he abandoned in 2017.

This led to months of unemployment and mental health struggles and Liam believes that his disability made potential employers “quite hesitant” to take him on.

He said: “I had to drop out because I couldn’t keep up with the pace with my disability. I spent about a year-and-ahalf unemployed. It’s a wilderness.

“Every day you are alone staring at the four corners of your room. And that is when I struggled the most.”

He said a TedX YouTube video initially inspired him to look into motivational speaking as a career with Zerolimbits in January.

Liam has given six talks already and will set off for two talks in London next week.

He said: “I thought ‘you know what, perhaps there is a way I can come out and talk about this, to help other people through their toughest times.’

“I’m feeling good about it. I’m feeling positive. I wake up in the morning and I look forward to my day now.

“If I can now use this to teach other people and help improve other people’s lives I believe that will be quite a fulfilling existence.”

Visit zerolimbits.com or follow Liam McKelvie on Facebook or Instagram.

Picture: Dougie Nicolson. Liam McKelvie is sharing his story.