A young woman on the trip-of-a-lifetime in a popular holiday hotspot nearly died after a drunk driver crashed into her, leaving her foot “crushed like glass”.
Danielle Kliaman was on her dream journey when she was knocked from her scooter.
The 22-year-old woke up to people “running and screaming” and looked down to discover the top of her foot had been ripped off.
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At first, Danielle and her sister fought for her limb to be saved as she was rushed to a local hospital.
But after many months of specialist appointments and intense rehabilitation courses, the extreme pain remains – and she now wants the limb removed completely.
Danielle shared the news with her 32,000 Instagram followers earlier this month (15 May).
“I had just gone through a near-death experience, so my mind was not ready to deal with the trauma of losing part of my leg,” Danielle, a content creator, told Need To Know.
“But I had no idea how hard it would be.
“The bones were so shattered that even after reconstruction, they never really fused properly.
“I’ve had multiple surgeries and so much rehab, but it’s like my foot never remembered how to function.
“The pain has become chronic.
“Every day, I’m limping, and it never healed the way we hoped.
“I don’t think I’ll ever be fully prepared for it – it’s such a life-altering decision.
“There’s a lot of pressure when I think about it because of the weight that the decision holds.
“But I know that I may never walk without pain or suffering on this leg, and it feels like an exciting opportunity to get to live life again.
“I’m excited to step into a future where pain doesn’t call the shots anymore.”
Danielle, who hails from Canada, had been in Thailand for a few months when she was hit by a drunk driver just over a year ago on 13 April 2024.
She had spent the day “laughing with friends and strangers”.
Danielle said: “I got on my bike and it was one of those rare moments where everything felt like a dream.
“Then everything flipped; I saw lights, felt the impact, and everything went black.
“I thought I was dead.
“When I opened my eyes, I could see people running, and I could hear people screaming.
“I remember trying to stand, but the shock was immediate.
“My bones were crushed, and I didn’t fully understand what I was seeing.
“I blacked out again, and when I woke up, I was in the back of a pick-up truck and a man was holding me still.”
Thankfully, her sister and brother-in-law were travelling in the same area.
They rushed straight to the hospital after a local woman rang them on Danielle’s phone.
She said: “The top half of my foot was ripped off, and every single bone in my foot was crushed like glass.
“There was no structure left–it was limp.
“The Thai doctors wanted to amputate right away because there was nothing to rebuild.
“But I couldn’t make that decision yet, and I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to my foot.
“Agony isn’t the word.
“It was this deep, burning pain.
“But I also felt numb and terrified.”
Danielle doesn’t have a date for her amputation yet, but her mindset has started to shift.
She feels there is something “empowering” about finally making a decision.
Danielle added, “I’m not losing a part of me.
“I’m reclaiming the rest of me.
“Amputation is not going to be easy, but I know that the possibilities that could come out of it definitely outweigh the options I have if I keep it.
“When I got hit, I almost died and coming to terms with that really reminds you of everything that you have to be grateful for.”
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