Liverpool Woman Runs 10K on Prosthetics After Heart Transplant and Leg Amputations

Jodie Higgins completed a 10K race in May while wearing prosthetic legs, raising £7,575 for the British Heart Foundation, Newsweek reported. The 34-year-old Liverpool resident had undergone a heart transplant on November 5, 2025, after a decade-long battle with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy.

Higgins was diagnosed at age 23 with the genetic condition that replaces heart muscle with fat and scar tissue.

She received beta blockers and an implantable cardioverter defibrillator, then underwent two ablation procedures and multiple medications. Her heart deteriorated further, leading to placement on the transplant waiting list. Immediately after the transplant, Higgins developed organ failure and sepsis.

She spent three and a half weeks in a medically induced coma on life support and was connected to an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation machine for six days while her new heart did not beat independently. The machine caused necrosis in both feet and in the thumb and index finger of her left hand.

On January 13, 2026, Higgins underwent surgery for bilateral below-knee amputations and amputation of her left thumb and index finger at the first knuckle.

She spent 121 days in the hospital from the transplant through recovery. Eight months after the transplant, Higgins has prosthetic legs and continues intensive physiotherapy. She has a three-year-old son and experiences pain on some days that requires wheelchair use.

Her new heart functions well, and she exercises regularly. Higgins advocates for organ donation. “Organ donation is so incredibly important, and I urge people to think about becoming an organ donor if you can,” she stated.