A diabetic mum was forced to have her leg amputated after an ingrown toenail caused by running become gangrenous.
Heather Satchwell, 27, rubbed her big toenail while training for a charity 5km run in February 2015, causing an ingrown nail.
Because she has type one diabetes, Ms Satchwell lost the sensation in her feet and went straight to hospital, but had to wait seven months for the nail to be removed.
Heather, who previously ran two to three times a week, had her big toe amputated later the same year.
But the infection had already spread and become osteomyelitis — a rare infection of the bone — so she was the forced to have her leg below the knee amputated in February this year.
Heather, from Newhall, Derbyshire, must now rely on a prosthetic leg and wheelchair to get around.
She said: "Because of my diabetes, I had neuropathy in my foot, which causes loss of feeling.
"After training for a 5km charity race, I got a rub on my big toe from my trainer.
"I was told as a diabetic you have to be careful with your feet so as soon as the ingrown toenail went red I went to hospital.
"I was given antibiotics but they didn't work, and because the infection had already spread to the bottom of my leg my toe was amputated.
"I didn't want to be in hospital for any length of time because I didn't want to be away from my daughter, so I went home the same day.
"But eventually, my surgeon had to tell me if I didn't get my leg amputated, I wouldn't be there for Gia at all.
"I couldn't believe it had all happened from an ingrown toenail - even the people at the hospital couldn't believe it."
After each of her gruelling operations, including a six-hour surgery in June last year and another five-hour op this year, Heather left the hospital within days to be back with Gia.
But the mum, who was diagnosed with diabetes aged 11, said losing her leg was less painful than the trauma of the aftermath.
She was given the news by doctors she would need the full bellow knee amputation last year with just three weeks' notice.
Just five days before the surgery she had to move into a new home with her daughter, because her previous rental property was not wheelchair friendly.
When she found a new bungalow, she was housebound for seven months.
She said her new bathroom was unsuitable due to problems with the shower and was told to consider using swimming pool facilities to wash in.
Heather also had her Personal Independence Payments (PIP) cancelled and was forced to go to court to reclaim £2,000 which she was owed by the DWP.
Heather said: "Losing my leg was actually the least painful part of what happened, everything afterwards was worse.
"Luckily my daughter is very much like me, she won't break down, but when I can't get my prosthetic leg on she is housebound.
"That's why we wanted to do something with the garden, it's the size of a park and it would mean the world to be able to play outside with Gia."
Heather is fundraising for a disability-friendly garden space so she can play with daughter Gia, six, outdoors.
Gardener Hannah Goldsmith has launched a GoFundMe appeal to help transform her garden.
The mum is desperate for a flat surface and ramp so she can get into the garden easily in her wheelchair, as wells as slides and swings for Gia's friends to play in.
Heather said: "We used to be such outdoorsy people, we would have a film night on Saturday but that would be the only night the TV was on.
"Now, Gia's on a tablet 24/7 because she won't go out without me.
"She gets invited to children's parties but can't go to them, we'd love to have some swings and slides here so she could have people round."
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