Nearly two years after undergoing a quadruple amputation, a Calgary woman has set her sights on running a marathon.
In early 2017, Verna Marzo was diagnosed with endometriosis: a frequently painful disorder in which the tissue that normally lines the inside of one’s uterus grows outside the organ.
Following a hysterectomy, Marzo developed complications and sepsis. With a grim prognosis, doctors put her into a coma.
“The doctor said that I will be in a coma for at least a month or two but then after six days I woke up,” Marzo told CTV News.
Upon awaking, Marzo discovered that her legs and arms had been amputated to save her life.
“I still have something,” Marzo, who refuses to despair, said. “I still have (a) life.”
Marzo’s first challenge was learning how to walk on her new prosthetic legs.
“I asked my therapist if I can walk again, and she said, ‘Yes, but it will be hard work,’” she said.
“So I work hard.”
She also has a prosthetic arm.
“I can brush my teeth, I can comb my hair,” she added.
Marza can also dance -- and an exuberant video of her showing off her moves even helped her win tickets to see Ellen DeGeneres in Calgary.
This past July, Marzo also participated in a five-kilometre race.
Marzo’s sister, Debi Marzo, says her sister’s outlook is why she has been recovering so well from the amputations.
“Her positivity in life is just amazing,” the sister said. “Like no matter… how much pain she was having before, she can still make us laugh.”
Marzo, who enjoyed intense outdoor activities like mountain climbing and cycling before the operation, now hopes to run a full marathon.
“There’s still adventure,” she said.
With a report from CTV National News Alberta Bureau Chief Janet Dirks
