A HORRIFIC accident which irrevocably changed the life of a Horrabridge teenager seven weeks ago has sparked a major fundraising campaign beginning tomorrow (Friday). Nicola Bitton, aged 19, had gone to walk her dog Woody when her car skidded on black ice on the morning of March 2. Shaken, she called her brother Paul and asked him to come and pick her and Woody up. Tragically he skidded on the same patch of ice and though he fought to gain control of the car, it slid into his sister?s vehicle, smashing into her leg. In shock, Paul immediately summoned help and did his utmost to help his badly injured sister. Nikki said: ?It was actually a very brief impact. I was lying on the ground most of the time. I was conscious, I was aware of lots of people rushing around. I just thought I?d broken it but in fact there were three breaks and an arterial bleed. I know I spent a lot of time saying ?I don?t want to lose my leg?. ?But it was my brother who saved my life. He?s my hero and I wouldn?t be here without him. He phoned the paramedics and did enough to keep me going until they got to me. I know naturally he feels a bit of guilt, but I am so glad he did what he did to save me.? Nikki was airlifted to Derriford Hospital where she spent the next week drifting in and out of consciousness, unaware of the severity of her injuries. A week after the accident, and following five operations, her left leg was eventually amputated above the knee. Nikki, in her first year at university in Bournemouth, spent a month in Derriford. Having endured some very dark days, she said the most frustrating aspect was waiting for her wound to heal. ??I still get a feeling of a foot occasionally, but it?s not painful any more. It?s weird ? you have something called phantom lymph pains, which means you?re still aware of the leg. It?s very odd, sometimes I want to balance back on my left foot again, but I have to tell myself no. But all the physio has got me moving again and it?s re-centred my balance into the middle. ?Nothing else of me has been physically damaged, it?s been contained ? I?m 90% the same person.? Nikki, now at home and with the support of family and friends, feels she is beginning to turn a corner following the traumatic events of the last month. She said: ?When things like this happen you really appreciate a close family. There are so many people out there who are not lucky enough to have a proper family. ?And my friends have been amazing ? loads of them came to see me when I was in hospital, some even came down from Bournemouth. ?Lots of people have said ?You?re so brave?, but the way I look at it, it?s something that?s happened and you just have to get on with it. It?s all you can do. ?It?s another challenge ? there?s no point in hanging around feeling sorry for yourself. Everyone has their down moments but there are so many more positives now than negatives. ?We don?t tread carefully around it. So many of my friends have come to see me and don?t want to upset me, but I?m more than happy to talk about it. I don?t want to upset anybody or anybody to be upset. The last thing I want is for my friends to feel uncomfortable ? we can joke about it now.? Family and friends are rallying around to raise £10,000 for a high-spec prosthetic leg for Nikki, similar to the type Paul McCartney?s model wife Heather wears. Nikki is currently being fitted for an NHS leg ? but is keen to wear the Rolls Royce version. ?There?s the comfort value, there?s the look of it ? I?m only young, there?s a natural vanity thing ? and there?s the confidence thing as well. If you feel you look good, you have more confidence ? I?d have a slightly bigger smile on my face. People might not notice the leg but they would notice I was smiling.? Paul, a 23-year-old Plymouth University student, is planning a sponsored parachute jump with girlfriend Amy to raise money for Nikki?s new leg. Paul, who has a first aid certificate, said at the time of the accident he acted purely on adrenaline as he did his best to keep Nikki going until help arrived. ?At the time, all that mattered was trying to help her. ?Afterwards, the paramedics said my heart was beating so fast I could have gone into cardiac arrest,? said Paul. ?For a few weeks after it happened I kept re-living it but now it?s not so much. Over the last few days, with all the fittings for her leg, it?s affected me a bit more.? Nikki?s mum Barbara was on a plane to Spain with a friend when the accident happened ? she flew back immediately, despite Nikki asking for her not to be told, so her holiday would not be ruined. Barbara said: ?We were hoping they were going to amputate below the knee but because it was broken behind it, they couldn?t do much about it. ?They did what they thought would get her up and about. It could have been another two years of operations without any guarantee of success if they hadn?t amputated. ?We?re really proud with the way she has coped with everything. To start we were beginning to wonder if the negatives would ever turn into positives, but it?s all now more positive than negative.? And Barbara was full of praise for Nikki?s best friend Megan Ward. ?She came to see her every day in hospital ? she was so good for her. ?We would sometimes go out for a coffee if she was feeling down and leave them chatting ? when we came back she would be smiling again. She was always so much better after Meg had been in,? said Barbara, who is currently organising a fundraising coffee morning in the village to raise money for her daughter?s new leg. Meg said she was ?so proud? of the courage and determination Nikki has shown in facing such a life-changing event ? an experience which has brought the pair closer together. Meg said: ?She?s very outgoing but she?s very sensitive deep down ? she doesn?t like people to see she can be vulnerable. We have cried many tears ? and also laughed at some seemingly impossible situations!? The first big event organised to raise money for Nikki?s new leg is a disco at the Ordulph Arms in Tavistock tomorrow (Friday). The pair said they were hugely grateful to landlord Andy Coad who was ?absolutely brilliant? in his support of ?project leg?, as Meg has called it. ?It shows there are lots of nice people around ? I just hope lots of people will come along and have a good time,? said Meg. The party starts at 8pm ? tickets are £4 on the door and all are welcome.
