Woman Writes Goodbye Letter on Her Foot the Night before It's Amputated

A Colorado woman has shared her struggle of living as an amputee following her complicated foot surgery in 2018. She continues to inspire people worldwide through her inspirational story on various social media platforms.

Living life with an injury or a limitation can be a daunting task. While you see people around you lead a normal, happy life, a part of you knows there are things you might never experience in the same way ever again.

Battling with your emotional and mental traumas, in addition to being physically limited, takes a lot of strength. Jo Beckwith's life story is proof that hard times can be overcome with courage and unwavering faith.

Beckwith, who goes by @footlessjo on TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram, is not only an amputee but also a public speaker and mental health advocate. At the age of 13, she suffered a horrific ankle injury while riding a horse. She shared:

“It was a cool day for doctors, because they’d never seen a break like that. That’s something you never want to hear (sic)."

As it turned out, her right ankle had been terribly shattered, so much so that one of its ends had snapped, shoving her ankle bone up into her leg.

For nearly 14 years, Beckwith spent a life in excruciating pain, undergoing various surgeries and operations. She was then presented with the tough choice of either keeping her foot that way and living in agony or going for amputation.

Beckwith explained that everyone around her had mixed opinions, but only she knew how hard it was to spend a life writhing in pain every day. So on October 11, 2018, she decided to go for amputation at the age of 27.

Losing a part of her body, especially one which influenced her ability to move around, was the most cumbersome thing she had ever done. So she prepared herself mentally, knowing in her heart that her foot deserved a decent goodbye.

Along with the support of her husband and family members, she threw a farewell party, inviting her friends over the night before her amputation to leave goodbye notes on her foot. One of the goodbye messages read:

"Way to take a step in the right direction (sic)."

The farewell messages ranged from funny and emotional to extra-supportive, with a hint of pun. Beckwith also saved some space for her personal goodbye letter, set in the breakup theme, appreciating "all the good times" she had lived with her foot.

Her farewell note read: "it's not me, it's you (sic)." She also drew a line and scissor pattern around her ankle so the doctors would know which ankle had to be removed. Netizens have left encouraging comments on her viral TikTok video. One user wrote:

“This is such a creative way to handle this. I have so much respect for you!”

Another user appreciated her for looking at her tough journey as a cathartic experience and added: "You handled this so well. I love that you came up with this! It actually makes sense how this could be therapeutic!"

Beckwith continues to go strong despite everything she had to endure. Her journey post-surgery has been full of difficulties, as she had to get a larger portion of her leg amputated after a massive fall.

Regardless, she can now take walks with her dog and move around with ease thanks to her prosthetic leg, which she shared works "amazingly," giving her the freedom to do things she could have never done before.