Picture framing was something I loved from the very start. I was sitting on the loo one day, staring at a piece of work Rick and I had just had framed, and thought, ‘That would be a cool job.’
I looked through the Yellow Pages and rang up a company to ask a few questions about framing. The manager ended up driving over and selling me $10,000 worth of machinery. My husband Rick had a fit! But it was an instant passion – it was creative and I loved how people would bring me their treasures to look after.
My first framing business was called Foxglove Framers, in Taumaranui, and my most recent, Edges in Havelock North.
The accident happened in February this year. I was driving home from the shop and, the next thing I knew, I woke up in hospital. I don’t think I knew if I was alive or dead, but I felt knackered.
Suzi was looked after by her daughter Tilly (right), pictured with her sister Abbey, left work to care for Suzi after the accident.
It was touch-and-go for a while. Parts of the car came to hospital with me. The seatbelt was embedded in my stomach and I went into cardiac arrest a couple of times. I still don’t really know, but I think while I was unconscious, I might have heard someone say I had lost my leg. I know that when the doctor told me, I didn’t fall apart – I wasn’t shocked.
My prosthetic arrived on a plane from Wellington, along with a couple of men to give me a hand with it. Until then, I’d never seen one up close and there were no niceties! One of the guys just said, ‘Here you go, Suzi. Put this on. Now stand up.’”
I like my prosthetic, but it weighs an absolute tonne and it’s really hard to change your shoes. I always loved fashion so now I want three legs or four! I want one with lights for Christmas! And I want one that looks good with sneakers.
For now, I’m getting used to having two plain legs – the one I wear, plus a back-up. I’d also like some lovely socks to go over the end of my amputated leg. They only come in boring old white or flesh-coloured. I reckon the socks should be like undies and come in different colours with patterns on.
I had to let the business go. Before the accident, giving up this piece of my life would have been really hard, but my thought process changed and I couldn’t see myself going back there.
Right now, I have a lot of physio and gym work to do, and I’m giving my daughter Tilly (22) a hand to open her own shop in Hastings. She lost everything – her routine, her income – to nurse me. Now she needs to get on with her life.
The Havelock North community has been amazing. Local businesses held a wonderful art auction called Framed for Suzi – and all the lovely artists I’d worked with over the years donated pieces.
The money raised will help us to modify the bathroom so I can use it on my own. I will also get a specialised car with all the hand controls and the accelerator on the other side.
We had a party at Edges after I got home from the hospital to thank all the amazing people who saved my life – from the guys who put tourniquets on my legs to stem the bleeding to the nurses who would flop in my armchair at the hospital and offload. It was a bit like The Graham Norton Show! Each of them had had challenging experiences in their lives and I was lucky enough to hear their stories.
I don’t dwell much, but I have the odd moment when it’s overwhelming. I don’t look in the mirror too much – acceptance is coming, but slowly.
We don’t like to say the words ‘back to normal’ because our family has always believed that normal is the most boring thing in the world. But then someone called me ‘handicapped’ the other day and I just about fell out of my tree! I’m not handicapped. I’ve got a leg missing, that’s all.”
To help Suzi live a full life, please donate to: givealittle.co.nz/cause/framedforsuzi.
