Chris’s Road to Recovery
Chris in Stoke-on-Trent has always shown resilience and determination, but especially so in this life-changing past year. Since joining Creative Support in summer 2025, Chris has shown great tenacity when faced with health challenges and a difficult recovery following his leg amputation in early 2026. Chris told us all about the changes he’s experienced recently and how he remains optimistic for the future.
“It hasn’t been a smooth journey,” Chris began. “There is still a lot of work left to do, but I’m excited for the future.” Chris explained that following his move to Creative Support’s service in Stoke-on-Trent last August, he had a series of surgeries on his leg. “After I broke my ankle and foot and had the metal cage on my leg, there were a number of complications. I was having weekly trips to the hospital. In April 2026, following recommendations from the surgeons, I had to have the leg amputated.”
This didn’t hold him back for long though: “The day after my amputation, I was out of bed and doing my physio exercises. I also had a prosthetic fitting at the limb clinic recently and took my first few steps. They still need to resize it to make it a better fit, but I’m excited to have the prosthetic and learn how to walk with it. Although I still have some readjustments with my leg, I’m hoping the prosthetic will be ready in September.”
Chris recently started using a specially-adapted mobility car. This has made travelling to appointments and going for days out much more accessible. Lesley Green, Supported Living Manager for our Staffordshire Services, is extremely proud of Chris’s outlook and determination. “Throughout this process, even as he continues to have so many appointments, Chris has been so positive and resilient. When we visited him in hospital the day after his recovery, we didn’t really know what to expect. But there he was, sat up in bed, smiling and showing us the exercises he’d been doing with the physio.”
Chris explains how much Lesley’s support means to him “She thinks I’ve got a heart of gold. She’s often attended my appointments to see how I’m doing. When I had to have my leg in a cast for a while, Lesley even tried to convince me to get a green cast so it matched her name!”
Chris has completed a lot of physio sessions to strengthen his leg and learn techniques to support himself when standing up from his wheelchair. When asked what he is looking forward to with his recovery, Chris said: “Being able to go on more days out in my mobility car will be excellent. I’ve missed going out and about as much.” More recently, he has enjoyed going out for lunches, visiting Rudyard Lake, and getting reacquainted with an old friend who has moved just down the road from Chris: “He comes to visit me multiple times a week, which I really enjoy.”
Chris shared his gratitude for the people around him who’ve supported his recovery: “I am lucky to have a good support network and would like to thank all the staff at Creative Support, including Jamie, Ken, Alan and Uwa, along with all the staff at the NHS Royal Stoke Hospital and the Hayward Limb Clinic for supporting me to get this far and their continuous encouragement. I’d also like to thank my family for their support, especially my dad George and Marie-Anne.”
Chris’s positive attitude and outlook are incredibly inspirational, and we look forward to seeing more positive developments in his life over the coming months.
Chris pictured with Staffordshire Services Supported Living Manager, Lesley Green