Alton Towers survivor becomes NRC ambassador
Leah Washington-Pugh, who lost her leg in the 2015 Smiler crash, has been appointed NRC ambassador for the National Rehabilitation Centre.
The 27-year-old underwent extensive rehabilitation after the rollercoaster collision that required an above-knee amputation when she was 17.
The June 2015 incident at Alton Towers saw two carriages collide on the Smiler ride, seriously injuring all four front-row passengers. Washington-Pugh had her left leg amputated and underwent years of rehabilitation, including being fitted with a prosthetic limb and learning to walk again.
She has now been appointed as an ambassador for the National Rehabilitation Centre, a new 70-bed facility run by Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust. The centre, which its creators say is the first of its kind in the NHS, is co-located with the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre on the Stanford Hall Rehabilitation Estate near Loughborough.
“The NRC is amazing; it’s a beautiful building that doesn’t feel like a hospital. It’s bright and airy and the views are incredible too,” said Washington-Pugh.
“Bridging the massive gap between being in hospital and being at home is really important because that’s the bit that’s so daunting.”
“At the moment you have to learn the hard way by just doing it, so to have somewhere to meet that need will be so much better for patients, their families and wider support network. And it will give everyone a better understanding of rehabilitation before people go home.”
“I feel honoured to be asked to be an NRC Ambassador. I’m very lucky that I’ve got support from other amputees, so it’s getting those contacts and friendships which you’re going to need for your journey, and I’m delighted to have the opportunity to help others to do that.”
The facility shares some facilities with the adjacent military rehabilitation centre, including a hydrotherapy suite and a high-tech gait laboratory that analyses walking patterns. It accepts patients from age 16 with no upper age limit, with eligibility based on individual rehabilitation potential.
Following the crash, Washington-Pugh spent her first 24 hours in a coma at Royal Stoke University Hospital. Her rehabilitation began almost immediately after waking, with physiotherapists working at her bedside to restore movement.
The initial focus was on strength work to support her hips, build movement in her residual limb, strengthen her right leg, and restore function to her left arm, which was numb for six weeks after the accident.
After eight weeks in hospital, she returned home to Barnsley but found the transition challenging.
“When you’re in hospital everything is flat and safe. But we went home to a semi-detached family home with steps, with no adaptations, and we just had to manage. It was like a slap in the face and such a shock,” she recalled.
“For me, my parents were also trying to navigate the change to my body and the things that they now needed to help me with, as well as the things they thought they needed to help me with but which I wanted to find my own way of doing.”
“I spent most of the time upstairs in my bedroom for the first six weeks because that’s where the bathroom was, and where my bed was which was quite isolating, until I got confident at home again.”
Her rehabilitation continued with home physiotherapy several times weekly, progressing to swimming and specialist gym sessions. The major breakthrough came when she received her prosthetic leg.
“It was learning a new life and adjusting to an addition to myself. Once I got rid of my crutches, it felt like a new lease of life, and I was off! I was able to try new things, got a running blade, and went cycling, things began to feel normal again.”
Washington-Pugh now lives independently with her husband Joe in Barnsley and runs her own beauty business. Her message to future NRC patients, particularly younger ones, emphasises persistence.
“Rehabilitation is not an easy journey, it’s tough, but with the right support you’ll get through it,” she said.
“I live a pretty normal life and can do what my friends can do, but that is down to good rehabilitation, being consistent and keeping up with it.”
“I found that as soon as you stop it’s harder to start again as it feels like starting afresh. So, stick with it, I know it’s hard, but stick with it.”
NRC director Miriam Duffy said: “We are delighted that Leah, who is already a great champion for rehabilitation, has decided to become an NRC ambassador.”
“Leah is absolutely right that having a good support network and great rehabilitation treatment, as well as the attitude to keep going, is what will enable our patients to continue to live life to the full as Leah does.”
“We’re all looking forward to working with Leah as we welcome our very first patients to the NRC and support them on their own recovery journeys.”
The NRC has developed what it calls a pioneering rehabilitation model to deliver more intensive treatments earlier in patients’ recovery, using advanced technology and specialist staff.
