By Janelle Tuck Hansberger
One afternoon in the fall of 2010, my life took what some would describe as a devastating turn when I dropped a home computer on my foot.
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When I tell people how lucky I am to be alive … I really mean it! In October 2010, while living in Atlanta, I suffered from a life-threatening flesh-eating bacteria as the result of something as simple as a small cut on the top of my foot. The infection from the cut caused a condition called necrotizing fasciitis. I was in Piedmont Hospital for 40 days; doctors there later told me I nearly died four times. I endured many complications while in the hospital’s ICU, including sepsis, ARDS, Sirs, DIC, c-dif, and lung surgery. Ultimately, doctors performed an amputation of my left leg, below the knee, to stop the deadly bacteria from spreading to the rest of my body and to save my life.
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Today, I continue to make a full recovery. A significant turning point in my recovery was when I attended the Getting2Tri Foundation’s (“G2T”) National Paratriathlon Training Camp in May 2011, just seven months post-amputation.
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G2T is based in Atlanta, but its focus and impact go well beyond. Its founder, Mike Lenhart, a graduate of West Point, originally designed the nonprofit organization to aid wounded military veterans. However, G2T today proudly serves both the military and non-military disabled populations with the goal of integrating individuals with physical limitations into their local communities. G2T puts on paratriathlon camps throughout the year to teach the sport of triathlon to individuals with conditions such as limb loss, spinal cord injuries and paralysis. The organization also partners with other groups in a consultative manner to help create similar events. Last fall, they partnered with Carolinas Rehabilitation in Charlotte to put on a two-day paratriathlon clinic as part of that group’s Adaptive Sports and Adventures Program (ASAP). At its core, G2T uses the disciplines of swimming, cycling, and running as a great vehicle for instilling confidence through sports, which further leads to confidence in other areas of individuals’ lives. I am living proof of their personal investment and impact.
After attending G2T’s camp last year, I had the confidence to sign up for my first triathlon. In September 2011, less than a year after losing my leg, I competed in the Ramblin’ Rose Women’s Sprint Triathlon in Huntersville, N.C. Four of my closest friends – Emily Kleiber, Hayden Hilke, Jada O’Neill and Elizabeth Sha Khan – competed with me in the Ramblin’ Rose. I’m told there was not a dry eye on the field as we crossed the finish line together that day!
If people asked me before my injury if I wanted to inspire others, I would have laughed and told them “no way.” However, I have no regrets from my injury and believe God has given me a greater purpose through the example of how I’ve survived. In fact, one of my co-workers, Patrick Lewis, recently signed up for his first triathlon, the Lake Norman Triathlon, which will be in the summer. While I still do not have any aspirations to speak before large crowds as some keynote speaker, I find great satisfaction when my story helps individuals achieve goals or motivates an able-bodied couch potato to become more active.
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As for me, I am probably more active now as an amputee than I ever was with both legs! I participate in weekly running, spinning and swimming at a local Charlotte YMCA. You might also find me running the famous Booty Loop in the Myers Park neighborhood in Charlotte three to four times a week. My immediate goal this year is to run the Cooper River Bridge 10k race in March in Charleston, S.C., with several of my closest girlfriends.
Needless to say, my life continues to be full of changes, but I know God’s plans for me are much, much greater than my own. I believe “limb loss does not equal life loss.” Never again will I take my life for granted and I hope my story will inspire others to simply keep moving!
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Janelle Tuck Hansberger is a 37-year-old single mother of two boys, Jim and Hill, in Charlotte, N.C. She is a co-manager for a high-end antiques and interior design firm, Circa, in Charlotte.
