1 “I Could Have Died At Least 10 Times”
De Lagarde, 44, told Good Morning Britain that she was holding up after the accident. “I’m good. I’m feeling fine,” she said. “I mean, obviously, this is a terrible thing to happen to one, but I’m so privileged and grateful that I am alive.” She added: “That night I was told I could have died at least 10 times.”
2 “Excited to Be Alive”
“It was quite an accident to have happened but, once you survive that, I was absolutely excited to be alive. The joy is there so if you think about it. My family could have spent Christmas without me—the fact I am alive and that I am here is incredible. Everything has an extra sparkle to it.“ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb
3 How the Accident Happened
De Lagarde recounted what happened on the night of the accident: She was on her way home on the train after a long day at work when she fell asleep and missed her stop. As she rushed to get off at the next stop, she slipped and fell onto the tracks. The train then hit her as it pulled out of the station. De Lagarde said she was left “bloodied and mangled.” As she lay on the track, another train hit her. She said that as she lay there, she thought: “I shouldn’t be here, this is not supposed to happen. I need to go home to see my family. That thought about my family kept me going.”
4 15 Minutes of Terror
De Lagarde said it took about 15 minutes for others to hear her cries for help. When paramedics arrived, she was airlifted to Royal London Hospital, where her arm and leg were amputated. The mother of two said her children gave her strength as she recovered in the hospital, learning how to deal with life-changing injuries. “I had to make them a promise when my eight year old was crying, speaking to me on Facetime, I had to promise that I will be home for Christmas.’
5 Paying It Forward
De Lagarde is fundraising to pay for a prosthetic arm that’s capable of acting on brain signals. So far, she has raised more than $335,000. She was released from the hospital last Friday, and she says that any extra money raised will go to the hospital and air ambulance service that saved her life.
