11-Year-Old Wanted To Cut Own Leg Off With Knife Due To Excruciating Pain

An 11-year-old girl in Wales who was born with club foot is now set to have part of her leg amputated after making a shocking statement that left her parents devastated.

Serenity Harwood, of Wrexham, Wales, has undergone six operations over the years to correct her club foot, a condition that happens when the Achilles tendon in the foot is too short, Wales Online reported. The condition, which affects both of Harwood's feet, can be painful as children grow.

However, the pain caused by her left foot becoming twisted reached a point where the young girl told her parents that she wanted to cut off her own leg.

“She started saying she wanted to get a knife from the kitchen to cut her own leg off, because she was in so much pain,” said her mother Dawn Harwood.

Dawn and her husband William then made the decision earlier this month to go through with amputation so that their daughter can lead a fulfilling life. Serenity is now scheduled to have part of her left leg removed within the next three months.

This decision came after years of attempting to correct Serenity's club foot through exercises, special footwear and several operations.

“She is the one who decided the amputation needed to happen because she just wants to get back to being a child again,” her mother stated.

The 11-year-old girl currently walks almost permanently in custom-made shoes called orthotics. But Dawn said her daughter’s left foot has become so twisted that she can no longer walk properly even while using the shoes.

“She goes to school but she has to be extremely careful. Recently she had two knee dislocations in eight weeks because of the way she has to walk,” said Dawn.

To help cover the expenses needed for Serenity’s amputation, family friend Becky Thompson put up a GoFundMe page. So far, it has raised more than £1,000 ($1,390).

Following the procedure, Serenity will have to undergo a grueling period of recovery that would temporarily leave her in a wheelchair. Aside from that, she will need to see a physiotherapist. It will be a critical period of adjustment for the young girl and her family.

“After the operation she needs a lot of exercise to be able to walk again. We’re nervous. I’ve never gone through anything like this before,” Dawn said.

Her mother continued, “It’s all the added on things when she comes home too. What adaptations will we need for her? I know her wheelchair wouldn’t fit into the kitchen. I think we will need to make quite a lot of changes, and might even need to move house. That’d be terrible for us, we’ve only lived here for four years and we like it.”

Serenity will eventually be relying on a prosthetic leg, which the young girl hopes would help her achieve her goal of becoming a “WWE wrestler.”

“We’re just looking forward to her hopefully not being in pain though, and being able to enjoy things and be more independent,” said her mother.

Club foot affects around one in 1,000 babies in the U.K., and nearly all children are treated successfully after a minor operation.