"At the age of 36, I contracted Meningococcal Septicaemia. Within 4 hours of the first symptoms, I was on life-support machines. My hands and feet became gangrenous; my arms up to my elbows and the tops of my shoulders were black.

With amputation becoming inevitable, my partner and family were asked whether they thought I would want to live in this severely disabled, dependent condition.

My surgeon, Mr Auf Quaba, realised that if he could skin graft over the flesh and bone exposed by the removal of the dead tissue, he could save my joints. In a series of five long operations. Mr Quaba's skill saved my life.

I spent five weeks in a specialist plastics ward and six months in rehabilitation.

Fitted with prosthetic legs I learned to walk again. I have body powered hooks for my upper limbs and am learning to use myoelectric arms. While prosthetic legs replicate some of the movement of real legs, it's hard to believe some of the dexterity of hands will ever be imitated by science. Having said that, I have read about a new technique whereby a metal rod in a prosthetic arm or leg is fused to the residual limb. An enormous advance. I'm now learning to live in the real world as a quadruple amputee."