Danielle Kliaman, 22, was left in turmoil after a horror crash left her without some of her foot. She now needs an amputation on her leg after the disaster crash in Thailand
A young woman has recalled how “everything went black” after a drunk driver crashed into her scooter and left her foot “crushed like glass”.
Danielle Kliaman, from Canada, was enjoying her “dream” trip in Thailand when she suffered the “near-death experience”. The content creator woke up to everyone “screaming” around her as she looked down and saw that the top half of her foot had “ripped off.”
Luckily, her sister and brother-in-law were holidaying nearby and rushed to the scene. But when they reached the hospital, the doctors wanted to amputate her leg. Although they managed to delay the major amputation, Danielle has been left with extrutiating pain and now thinks the limb needs to be removed entirely.
Danielle shared the news with her 32,000 Instagram followers earlier this month. The content creator said: “I had just gone through a near-death experience, so my mind was not ready to deal with the trauma of losing part of my leg.
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“But I had no idea how hard it would be. The bones were so shattered that even after reconstruction, they never really fused properly. I’ve had multiple surgeries and so much rehab, but it’s like my foot never remembered how to function.”
She added: “The pain has become chronic. Every day, I’m limping, and it never healed the way we hoped. I don’t think I’ll ever be fully prepared for it – it’s such a life-altering decision But I know that I may never walk without pain or suffering on this leg, and it feels like an exciting opportunity to get to live life again. I’m excited to step into a future where pain doesn’t call the shots anymore.”
Danielle had been in Thailand for a few months when she was hit by a drunk driver just over a year ago on April 13. She had spent the day “laughing with friends and strangers”. Recalling the ordeal, she said: “I got on my bike and it was one of those rare moments where everything felt like a dream. Then everything flipped; I saw lights, felt the impact, and everything went black.
“I thought I was dead. When I opened my eyes, I could see people running, and I could hear people screaming. I remember trying to stand, but the shock was immediate. My bones were crushed, and I didn’t fully understand what I was seeing. I blacked out again, and when I woke up, I was in the back of a pick-up truck and a man was holding me still.”
Thankfully, her sister and brother-in-law were travelling in the same area. They rushed straight to the hospital after a local woman rang them on Danielle’s phone. She said: “The top half of my foot was ripped off, and every single bone in my foot was crushed like glass.
“There was no structure left–it was limp. The Thai doctors wanted to amputate right away because there was nothing to rebuild. But I couldn’t make that decision yet, and I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to my foot.” She continued: “Agony isn’t the word. It was this deep, burning pain. But I also felt numb and terrified.”
Danielle doesn’t have a date for her amputation yet, but her mindset has started to shift. She feels there is something “empowering” about finally making a decision. “I’m not losing a part of me,” the creator said. “I’m reclaiming the rest of me. Amputation is not going to be easy, but I know that the possibilities that could come out of it definitely outweigh the options I have if I keep it. When I got hit, I almost died and coming to terms with that really reminds you of everything that you have to be grateful for.”