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Coronavirus: Amputee's wife builds makeshift wooden leg Coronavirus: Amputee's wife builds makeshift wooden leg
(about 20 hours later)
An amputee has praised his wife after she made a prosthetic leg for him from items in their shed.An amputee has praised his wife after she made a prosthetic leg for him from items in their shed.
Steve Walton was told he would wait months for an NHS appointment in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Steve Watson was told he would wait months for an NHS appointment in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
His wife Atchari, 46, decided he could not wait and made a "leg" with a bucket, fibreglass resin and wood.His wife Atchari, 46, decided he could not wait and made a "leg" with a bucket, fibreglass resin and wood.
It kept falling off, but a second attempt with a moon boot and wood was a success, and Mr Walton, of Shotley Bridge, County Durham, can now walk. It kept falling off, but a second attempt with a moon boot and wood was a success, and Mr Watson, of Shotley Bridge, County Durham, can now walk.
Mr Watson, a teaching assistant who was in the Army, said: "My wife is very practical. She can turn her hand to anything.Mr Watson, a teaching assistant who was in the Army, said: "My wife is very practical. She can turn her hand to anything.
'Long John Silver''Long John Silver'
"At first when I saw her rummaging around in the shed I thought she was going to do the garden."At first when I saw her rummaging around in the shed I thought she was going to do the garden.
"The next thing, she had one of our son's seaside buckets and an old piece of wood. It was more akin to something Long John Silver would wear.""The next thing, she had one of our son's seaside buckets and an old piece of wood. It was more akin to something Long John Silver would wear."
He added: "The next day when she came home from work, she got a moon boot from when I had a cast on my leg, cut it in half and used screws to attach it to a piece of wood. It's absolutely brilliant."He added: "The next day when she came home from work, she got a moon boot from when I had a cast on my leg, cut it in half and used screws to attach it to a piece of wood. It's absolutely brilliant."
The father-of-three, who used to run a Thai restaurant and takeaway with his wife, suffered a badly broken leg when he had a fall in 2018.The father-of-three, who used to run a Thai restaurant and takeaway with his wife, suffered a badly broken leg when he had a fall in 2018.
Following a series of operations, he agreed to have the lower part of it amputated in January.Following a series of operations, he agreed to have the lower part of it amputated in January.
'Getting around''Getting around'
He was due to be assessed for a prosthetic limb last week but the hospital appointment was cancelled due to the Covid-19 outbreak.He was due to be assessed for a prosthetic limb last week but the hospital appointment was cancelled due to the Covid-19 outbreak.
Mr Watson said: "I am not going to use this regularly but it will be good for getting around the house for the next three to six months.Mr Watson said: "I am not going to use this regularly but it will be good for getting around the house for the next three to six months.
"I desperately do not want to divert anybody in the NHS away from anything more important."I desperately do not want to divert anybody in the NHS away from anything more important.
"There are people far worse off than me at the minute.""There are people far worse off than me at the minute."