A woman who was initially told a pain in her leg was a muscle strain was forced to have her leg amputated just three months later.
Gemma Harrison was told by doctors that the pain in her leg was nothing more than a muscle strain before being sent home with muscle rub and painkillers, but when she found a lump on her left thigh she went back to the hospital where they sent her for tests. After a number of tests and scans, it was found that the 34-year-old had an extremely rare form of bone cancer called osteosarcoma.
Following the diagnosis, she underwent intense chemotherapy in an attempt to shrink the lump but during the treatment, her leg snapped. This ruined plans to replace part of her leg with a metal rod and forced the specialist's hand into amputating the leg from the hip down to ensure the cancer wouldn't spread across her body.
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Now she is cancer free and waiting on a prosthetic that will incorporate three joints, the hip, knee and ankle, as she continues to adjust to life without her left leg two and a half years on from the procedure. Gemma, from Skelmersdale, told the ECHO : "During the last few years it's been difficult. My friends and family have got me through it.
"The mental side has been difficult but I'm working through it. I went to an amputee camp and it was amazing."
Now, the former bartender is looking to raise money for both Macmillan, which helped her during her diagnosis, and Limbless Association by hosting a sports day where different pubs in Skelmersdale enter teams to compete against each other. The first annual event will be hosted at Quarry Bank Community House.
She added: "I worked full time in one pub and part-time in another as well as cleaning friends' houses when I was diagnosed. I was always on my feet so it was a big change.
"One of the pubs set up a fundraiser to help me when I was diagnosed so I thought I would organise something that will carry on each year until after I'm gone."
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