Published: Thursday, 14th August, 2008 8:55am

Plucky amputee Paula's poised to take the plunge

by Siew Peng Lee

A BRAVE Dunfermline woman is planning a swim for charity next week – despite having lost both legs to diabetes.

Caring Paula Stewart (36), of Plane Grove, will swim half a mile – 32 lengths – at the Carnegie Leisure Centre on Tuesday to raise funds for the Fife Hospitals Kidney Support Group, of which she is a member.

Paula, a former gymnastics and swimming teacher, has had Type 1 diabetes since the age of five and in the last three years has lost both legs below the knee due to infections stemming from her condition.

She also attends haemodialysis at the Queen Margaret Hospital three times a week after both her kidneys started to fail about five years ago.

But the big-hearted mum-of-one is determined to do something to help others.

She told the Press, 'The support group contacted me about four years ago about becoming a member, when my kidney trouble started.

'I"m not sure how much we"ll get but I"m hoping to raise as much as I can. They do a lot of good work – arranging Christmas parties, day trips – and I want to give something back.

'It"s also a challenge for myself – I haven"t been in the water swimming for six years and wanted to get back in, and my family and friends suggested this.

'I thought if I was going to do a challenge, I didn"t want it to be a doddle if people are giving me money for it.'

Paula has been training weekly for the last four months at the Carnegie pool and is gradually getting her strength and stamina back.

She said, 'The first time I went in I managed only six lengths and was totally shattered.

'But I"ve got stronger and stronger and I think I will manage my half-mile.

'I just thought it would be a case of swimming without moving my legs but it"s not been that easy. You need legs for balance and they help with your buoyancy.

'I find the breaststroke and the back crawl easier – when I do the front crawl I tend to rock and roll without legs.'

Despite her health problems, Paula"s outlook remains positive.

She said, 'I did think I"d probably never walk again but I"m walking now using a crutch. But I suppose it"s something that had to be done, or it would have killed me. It was that or end up not being here.

'I can"t go on holidays any more because you"re stuck with the dialysis – I do miss that but I"ve come to terms with it.

'Hopefully one day I"ll get a transplant – I"ve been on the waiting list about a year.

'But I was upset about having to give up my job teaching children and adults – I really enjoyed that and if I could go back to teaching and swimming, I would.'

She hopes her swim will encourage other kidney patients, and said, 'I just want to show that there"s life after losing a limb.'

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