Five years ago, The Voice contestant Aimee Hannan faced the toughest decision of her life: to have her leg amputated or risk suffering a heart attack by the age of 30.
Aimee, now 29, suffers from Parkes Weber syndrome – a rare congenital disease that results in a large number of abnormal blood vessels.
“As a kid, I was always in so much pain and my leg was always bruised and swollen,” Aimee says of her debilitating condition.
Pain and discomfort weren’t the only side effects Aimee endured.
“I was an easy target for bullies,” she says.
“They would always tease me at school for having a fat leg, so I’d spend a lot of time at home and in my own space.”
Aimee says she has had a real love of country music since she was a youngster.
In 2013, Aimee had surgery to remove her right leg.
“I spent a lot of time crying in my room after that,” she recalls.
“I remember thinking that I no longer had a fat leg – just a metal pole. It was pretty tough to deal with.”
And while they say time heals all wounds, Aimee admits she still struggles to accept she’s an amputee.
“I’ve been in and out of hospital because I’ve fallen over and almost broken my back,” Aimee reveals.
“I also don’t like looking at myself in the mirror. And the worst thing is when people give me a hard time about it.
“I already think those things about myself, so I don’t need to hear it from other people.”
The young Aimee was a natural performer.
For Aimee, belting out The Beatles’ hit song “Help!” on The Voice stage was a life-changing moment.
“I’ve always wanted to sing and be heard and not judged on how I look,” she says.
She adds that her confidence is slowly returning.
“I just hope fans of the show watch me and realise that anything is possible,” she says.
“And how important it is to never give up on chasing your dreams.”
