SASKATOON — In the face of a major change in her daughter’s life, Leann Bower has shown what a mother’s love looks like — doing anything for her child. Bower has started a for her daughter Livi’s partner, Marley, whose leg needed to be amputated after an infection developed from what seemed like a harmless fall on ice earlier this year.
Bower said Marley hurt her leg more than four months ago, which later became infected, resulting in regular emergency department visits, hospital admissions and doctor’s appointments. Despite all this, there was no clear treatment plan, and the only remaining option became amputation of the right leg.
About two months ago, the doctor — initially confident in the treatment — advised Marley to begin considering amputation as a way to improve her quality of life. She was admitted to hospital again on June 21 due to intense bleeding from her foot, and the doctor advised that an immediate amputation was necessary.
Marley, despite the initial shock of the life-changing news, felt that amputation was the only way to reclaim her life from the injury, Bower said. She had her right leg amputated below the knee on June 25 and returned home three days later. Despite her life 小蓝视频 turned upside down, Marley remains in high spirits and maintains a positive attitude.
“She is doing pretty well. In the first couple of days in the hospital, they were pleased with how well she was doing and how determined she was to get up and start moving around on her own. There has been post-surgery soreness and exhaustion, but overall, she’s doing well,” Bower told SaskToday.
Bower's is nearing its $8,000 goal as of posting time, which will help the couple with daily living expenses. Marley, who is finishing her education degree to become a teacher, missed the last two months of the school year during her first teaching placement due to the injury.
“In the early stages, I hope to help them with meals, and of course, given her current lack of income, the funds would cover rent and daily living expenses. The immediate needs are still to be determined, as she is still in the post-surgery recovery stage and not able to do much yet on her own,” said Bower.
“The goal is to make their living space as accessible as possible and to get her as independent as possible. Once she is more mobile, the goal is to get her into forearm crutches, install bathroom bars, and use easy-to-grab devices and any other gadgets that will give her independence.”
She added that in about six months, Marley — whose biggest fear is not 小蓝视频 able to return to school to finish her degree — will begin 小蓝视频 fitted for a prosthetic leg and start rehabilitation to learn to walk again. Her first goal during recovery is to return to university for the fall semester.
Marley’s injury occurred in mid-February on her way to work. She suffered a minor scrape on her right shin that would have typically healed quickly. Instead, the wound worsened, spreading from below her knee to her toes, which led to further medical attention and consultations with multiple professionals.
She consulted two vascular surgeons, as well as a dermatologist, a plastic surgeon, their family doctor, nurses, residents, home care staff, and emergency department staff — but received no definitive diagnosis, Bower said. Even after the amputation, she still doesn’t know precisely what caused the condition. Further tests are ongoing, and she hopes to have some answers soon, she added.
