Brenna Cooper
A young woman who lost her right leg at the age of 22 after being run over by a bus has revealed her 'distinct' memory from the aftermath of the crash.
When Georgia Stannard was studying in London back in 2019, she had no idea that her life was about to drastically change forever.
The Art History student was heading out to meet a friend for lunch when she stepped out into a bus line while checking directions on Google maps.
Preoccupied with making sure she was going in the correct direction, Georgia didn't notice the approaching bus until it was too late - and the vehicle ran over her right foot.
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What came next would be a long rehabilitation process, with the now 27-year-old having her foot - and, subsequently, her right leg from 10cm below the knee - amputated.
Unable to feel any pain initially, due to 'adrenaline and shock', Georgia remembered only beginning to panic once emergency services arrived and began to tend to her injured foot.
Georgia spent a month relearning to walk at a facility in Kennington, South London, and went through around 11 different prosthetic legs in nine months due to swelling during recovery.
Despite the daunting reality of her 'new normal', Georgia remained positive about her recovery, focusing on the fact that she was 'lucky' that it was only a foot that she'd lost, instead of her life.
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"I felt so lucky that it was my leg and not my life. If I'd stepped out a second later, I could easily have died or had a permanent head injury," she explained during a new interview with The Times magazine.
The 27-year-old also recalled hearing a 'distinctive voice' in her head at the time, which urged her to use the injury as her 'purpose' in life.
"I remember having this distinct voice in my head saying, 'This is going to be the making of you, and this is your purpose It doesn't have to be clear yet, but just trust that something really big and good is going to come from this.' And that's never left me," she explained.
Georgia has since been able to use this motivation to forge a career in modelling after being recruited by inclusive agency Zebedee.
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Her work has included fronting Schuh's single-shoe campaign, which allows customers who require 'require only one shoe due to a limb difference or disability' to purchase a single shoe for 50 percent off.
Despite a successful career, Georgia does worry about the longevity of diversity and inclusion in the industry.
"I don’t want to sound cynical, because I’m incredibly grateful for all these experiences, but I am beginning to wonder how much the industry genuinely, truly cares about people with disabilities," she added.