Young girl walks tall after losing leg

SPRUITVIEW – She lost her leg through a mysterious disease and spent a year out of school, recuperating in hospital and at home, and now says she’s ready to live the best of her young life.

Katlego, a Grade 12 student at the Leondale High School, says she has no regrets about losing her left leg to the mysterious disease that has left her walking around on a prosthetic leg.

And to prove this, Katlego proudly told Kathorus MAIL that she is looking forward to excelling in her school exams at the end of the year and then proceeding to university, where she wants to study climatology and continue playing her favourite sport – basketball.

The bubbly, confident Katlego, throws a philosophical swipe at herself and says; “Losing my leg has not taken anything away from me. I’m still my old self. I love life, I love myself and I love those with whom I interact, namely my parents, my family and friends.

”I am also as confident and ambitious as ever.”

Katlego says losing her leg was less of a pain to her than what she had endured while what she believed was a “mosquito bite” grew into a gangrenous sceptic leg wound that ultimately left her left leg “hanging” by the tendons before it “finally fell off” her body.
Even though she has lost the use of her left leg, Katlego, still harbours great dreams about her future.

Apart from her role as the ambassador for Stand with Stan, and her status as the current winner of the 5km Women’s Walk, Katlego says the time will come when she completes her university studies and continues to play her favourite sport with her friends and children.

And her favourite quote is: ”If Oscar Pristorius could become an internationally acclaimed athletics sportsman and a runner without the use of both of his legs, what is stopping me from achieving my lifetime goals with only one leg?”