Paralympian Amy Purdy is thankful she can walk — and dance with Derek Hough — again after a major health scare.
“After injuring my leg 4 years ago and enduring 10+ surgeries, I had no idea if I would ever walk comfortable again, let alone dance again,” Purdy, 43, wrote via Instagram on Saturday, October 14. “And tonight, not only did I walk into the theater but I danced again with my friend & DWTS partner @derekhough ❤️.”
Purdy shared a video of her dancing with a shirtless Hough, 38, as he practiced for his Symphony of Dance tour. The pair previously competed together during the 18th season of DWTS in 2014 and finished in second place.
“Life is such a journey or as Derek says ‘life is a symphony!’” Purdy continued in her caption on Saturday, praising the “talented, creative and passionate” Hough, who currently serves as a judge on the ballroom dance show. “Let this be a reminder that whatever you are going through, keep going!”
In February 2019, Purdy developed a “massive blood clot” and was forced to choose between saving her kidney or her leg.
“I went from snowboarding 6 hours a day, working out & traveling the world to what I thought was just a simple mechanical issue with my left leg,” she wrote via Facebook at the time. “When I entered the hospital this weekend with my leg cramping we found out that it’s a much bigger problem [than] that.”
She continued, “Because of how active I am in my prosthetics wearing them 12-18 hours a day, I have developed a massive blood clot from my hip to the bottom of my leg. The diagnoses came yesterday & knocked my family & I to the floor physically, mentally & emotionally. We believe the clot came from the pressure of my prosthetic pressing behind my knee where many arteries lie.”
The athlete went on to explain that the surgery was complicated because the “contrast dye in the procedures” could impact her kidney transplant.
At age 19, Purdy was hospitalized with meningococcal meningitis and septic shock, which resulted in the removal of her spleen and both kidneys. Her legs were amputated below the knee. One year later, Purdy received a kidney donation from her father. Despite her physical setbacks, Purdy started snowboarding after receiving prosthetic legs and competed in the Paralympic Games. She won a bronze medal in the 2014 competition and a silver medal in 2018.
Purdy’s 2019 surgery “went well,” she shared via social media at the time.
“We are also checking my kidney this morning to make sure it handled everything well,” she wrote. “They had to use contrast but promised me it was a small amount so fingers crossed that my kidney powered through like the powerhouse it is.”
She continued, “I have some healing ahead of me but couldn’t be more grateful to feel the love and support behind me.”
