WARNING: DISTRESSING IMAGES A nurse whose ankle was left shattered her after a fall at an indoor climbing centre says she wants her foot amputated
A nurse who suffered a horrific injury in a fall at an indoor rock-climbing facility has revealed why she’s desperate for doctors to amputate her leg.
Experienced climber Farrah Clay went indoor bouldering with a pal in September 2023. The increasingly popular sport involves climbing without ropes, helmets or other safety gear. Instead, climbers use crash pads to cushion any falls.
When the experienced climber fell from the top of the wall, breaking a bone in her arm, she initially assumed it was just a minor graze and decided to try again. But Farrah’s second attempt resulted in an even more severe fall.
The 34-year-old landed awkwardly on her ankle and let out “a horrendous screaming noise” as the bone shattered. Photos of the incident show Farrah’s ankle bent at a sickeningly unnatural angle.
Bizarrely, she’s the second British nurse to have suffered a similar climbing injury.
Doctors warned Farrah that the injury was severe and might require a complete amputation, but after inserting metal pins in her ankle, they managed to save the foot.
At first, Farrah’s recovery looked promising, and the keen climber even managed to climb Mount Snowdon in August 2024 – wearing a special boot to support her ankle.
But a few months later she started experiencing debilitating pain from complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). The pain was so severe Farrah was forced to rely on a mobility scooter and give up climbing in October 2024.
Now Farrah, who can’t even walk to her local shops, says she is “desperate” to have her leg amputated to give her the freedom to climb mountains again.
She’s now waiting to find out whether her amputation below the knee will take place on November 20 and hopes to get a prosthetic fitted soon after that.
Farrah, from Stowmarket, Suffolk, said: “I would never have expected this to be how it ended.
“I wasn’t in a very good mood climbing. It was a general stress of life and I thought I’d go to the wall to calm my mind and make me feel better.
“I did a climb that was a little bit tricky. I fell and broke my left elbow but I genuinely thought it was a carpet burn because it didn’t hurt, so I carried on.
“Maybe I should’ve taken a few minutes to have a breather and go ‘actually there’s something wrong here’ rather than going ‘it’s fine’, but I can’t go back in time.
“You had to swing out with your right hand holding onto the last hold and there was no foothold.
“I did it, but as I grabbed it with my left arm it didn’t take and I fell completely on my right ankle.
“I fell to the floor and made quite a horrendous screaming noise. I looked down and my foot was facing the wrong direction.”
After paramedics straightened Farrah’s ankle, her friend called an ambulance and she was told she’d broken her ankle and might need it amputated.
However, successful surgery meant she kept both her legs and she quickly went back to climbing mountains.
Farrah said: “It was a shock to be told that. That was the first time I cried going to surgery thinking ‘Oh my god, I might wake up without my leg.’ That was quite terrifying.
“My biggest fear was waking up with a cage on my leg.
“Luckily I did just wake up with a cast on and they managed to screw it together. It was a horrendous break.
“The consultant said it was a life-changing injury but I didn’t really believe it.
“He said I’d never climb again, so I went straight back to the climbing wall as soon as I could. I’m never going to stop doing what I love.
“I started hiking in my healing boot and carried on doing anything I wanted to do. Mountains and climbing are what bring me the most joy.”
Farrah’s consultant sent her to a specialist in September 2024 after she developed CRPS, and she was told she’d either need surgery to fuse her ankle to her leg or undergo an amputation.
Admitting it’s been “devastating” to be restricted to crutches, a mobility scooter and a wheelchair, Farrah says she now wants to have her leg amputated as soon as possible.
Farrah said: “It’s been horrendous. It’s devastating because I can’t walk very far at all and I can’t walk to the local shop. That’s not the life I want.
“Hiking and mountains are my special places. I know I can’t do it on my biological foot anymore.
“It’s hard but I’m holding onto hope. I just imagine myself up a mountain – that’s the thought that drives me forwards. I’m desperate.
“I’m young and fit so there’s no reason why I can’t have a prosthesis and get myself up a mountain.
“Without that amputation, it’s such a heartbreaking thought that I’d have to give that lifestyle up.
“I wish they’d taken my leg off straight away, but at least I’ve had the opportunity to try and now I know 100% it’s the right decision.
“I’m scared, but I’m looking forward to just getting past this point and I just want my prosthetic.”
The keen climber now wants to spread awareness about her experience and encourage others not to focus on the “worst case scenario.”
Farrah said: “Stay positive because life doesn’t end when accidents happen. It’s just a leg and prostheses are amazing.
“I have my days where it’s challenging, but I have so much hope and joy and focus on the future I want to have – not the worst case scenario.
“You just have to enjoy what you have and focus on all the things that are possible now.
“I’ve experienced having two legs for 34 years and now I get to experience having a prosthetic, which is really cool… however devastating.”
