Amy Pascoe and friends were at a popular swimming hole near the White Gate Reserve in Nelson when a few of them decided to jump. Photo / via Facebook
Amy Pascoe and friends were at a popular swimming hole near the White Gate Reserve in Nelson when a few of them decided to jump. Photo / via Facebook
A teenage girl who shattered both her ankles and suffered spinal damage after a failed cliff jump was told by doctors she would likely never walk again.
But Amy Pascoe, 19, has defied those expectations and managed to make her first brave steps after plunging 10m and landing on rocks six months ago.
"I was with a few mates and it was a scorching hot day and we decided we would go to the river," she told Daily Mail Australia.
The friends were at the Nelson reserve when the accident happened.
The friends were at a popular swimming hole near the White Gate Reserve in New Zealand when a few of them decided to jump.
Amy had always been afraid of heights but with some encouragement from her friends she decided she would overcome her fear and take the 10 metre plunge.
"Before I went up I was in the water and this woman said 'Are you going to jump? Please don't jump'," Ms Pascoe said.
Ignoring the woman's warning she climbed to the top of the rock and briefly made eye contact with the woman who again mouthed: "Don't jump."
Amy leapt, but as soon as she went over the edge she realised she had miscalculated the distance.
"I jumped and as I did my friend screamed and I looked down and I knew I was going to hit the rocks.
"The shock of the impact overpowered the pain. I came out of the water and started screaming, I was in and out of consciousness."
Amy's lower body took the brunt of the fall. She shattered her ankles and heels and damaged her spine and legs.
Pascoe shattered both her ankles and suffered spinal damage after the failed cliff jump. Photo / via Facebook
There was so much blood in the water that it attracted eels who started feeding on it. She waited two hours till the Nelson Marlborough Rescue Helicopter arrived and she was pulled out of the water.
After she was flown to Christchurch she to have five operations on her feet in just a few days.
"First they told me I was never going to walk again and then they told me I might have to lose both my legs.
"For the first month I didn't talk to anyone, I barely ate anything."
Over the past six months, the teenager has had 12 operations and pins have been inserted into her feet and legs so she can learn how to walk again.
"Because my bone came out of my leg in the fall there was a huge chunk in my leg missing.
"I've had 12 surgeries, my left leg is fully fixed now and I am having surgery on the other one."
She's had a bone transplant, a skin graft and is getting ready for further operations.
'I jumped and as I did my friend screamed and I looked down and I knew I was going to hit the rocks.' Photo / via Facebook
She spends most of her time between her daily physiotherapy in bed or in a wheelchair and is just starting to walk again.
Pascoe was told she would never walk again. Photo / via Facebook
"I can stand now and I can walk a little bit.
"It's been a roller-coaster and I've wanted to give up so many times. But because of my brother and my family I just knew I couldn't, I have to get through it for them."
The headstrong young woman has dreams of studying to become an early childhood teacher or makeup artist.
