On July 13, 2015, Mary Ann Sands' life changed forever.
Sands was running along Satelitte Boulevard in Suwanee when a car jumped a curb and struck her, severing her foot, breaking her back and causing a brain injury.
A year and a half later, on December 1, 2016, Sands walked for a full minute without crutches,
"I'm going to start doing daily walks outside and documenting them on Instagram," Sands told WDUN's Brian Stewart on the Afternoon News Wrap with Russell Brown.
Sands' foot was severed during the accident and ended up on the opposite side of the road; luckily, a witness to the accident saved part of her leg - and her life - using his belt as a tournaquet to stop the bleeding. However, Sands said because of the dirt and debris that got in the wound, her leg had to be amputated below the knee. While she was in a coma, Sands said doctors prepared her family for the worst as well.
But, Sands pulled through.
Recovery is 24 hours a day and 365 days a year. "For the first six months I couldn't stand to even look at my leg. My husband cleaned and dressed my wound three times a day." Now, Sands has grown more accustomed to the change in her apearance, however she said the pain still hinders her. "So much has changed in my life since this has happened to me. I'm trying to be the best version of myself. It's very challenging because of the pain. Right now, I can maybe walk one minute without crutches. I just did my first walk without crutches (Thursday)."
"There are so many things that I didn't appreciate. I know this sounds so like, everybody says this, but right now I can't walk or talk while looking at a person. That is hard. To be able to walk and talk and look at the person that I'm talking to because I'm learning this process all over again."
Sands told Stewart she wants to eventually run again - and she wants to take her first run in that same spot.
You can follow Sands' journey on her Instagram.
