AN INSPIRING former Bournemouth University student and current TikTok star is spearheading change to help amputees in Africa walk again.
Disability advocate and former BU marketing student Milly Pickles is an adaptive athlete and content creator who has been appointed as the new ambassador for Legs4Africa.
The charity collects unwanted prosthetic legs from around the world and gives them a new home to help amputees in Africa get back on their feet.
Milly, who boasts an astonishing 20million likes and close to 400,000 followers on TikTok, will join fellow para-athletes in helping the cause.
While pursuing her degree at Bournemouth in 2017, Milly was electrocuted which left her with severe injuries and fighting for her life. Doctors were able to save her but had to amputate her right leg.
In a bid to help others she picked up the camera to document her journey as an amputee – helping her garner millions of likes and followers on social media platforms while raising awareness of limb loss.
She said: “I am thrilled to be supporting Legs4Africa in its mission to positively drive change in the lives of African amputees.
“I was fortunate enough to have the NHS to assist with my new journey as well as my family and friends who helped me cope with my sudden limb loss. However, there are thousands of amputees in Africa who don’t have the same access to these crucial support services, making it extremely hard for them to take that next step.
“It is an inspiration how the charity not only recycles unused prosthetic legs, saving them from landfill and providing a positive environmental impact, but also works to support amputees who would otherwise not have access to prosthetics.”
Tom Williams, founder of Legs4Africa, added: “Our work is driving a change in drastically reducing the environmental impact of recycling prosthetic legs and providing ongoing support and opportunities to those facing challenging times.
“We are grateful to have Milly join our team as our new ambassador leading the way to raise awareness of the need for change.”
By 2025, the charity hopes to increase the number of limb fitting centres it works with across Europe and North America.
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