WATCH: Sarah Stott shares her story of courage
MONTREAL — Sarah Stott is a fighter. The 22-year-old has had 40 blood transfusions and 20 surgeries since she made the split-second decision to cross the train tracks and take a short cut home December 8.
“I was in shock, I felt no pain,” said Sarah Stott from her bed at the Montreal General Hospital. The young woman was walking home after a night out with friends when she was struck by a freight train, which severed both her legs.
“I got hit and then I couldn’t push myself out,” recalled Stott.
“It was a ditch and I couldn’t push myself out because I didn’t have legs.”
Doctors were forced to amputate most of her fingers due to frostbite. But the cold is also what saved her life.
“If it hadn’t been that cold, I would have died,” she said.
“The cold slowed my blood down.”
READ MORE: Woman critically injured in Montreal freight train incident
Stott remembers most of the night quite clearly. She spent three hours in a snow-filled ditch screaming for help before someone found her. She kept telling herself that falling asleep wasn’t an option.
“I don’t know, I felt strong. I feel like my father who has passed away was maybe my guardian angel,” Stott shared, holding back tears.
While she feels grateful to be alive, Stott was devastated to see the state of her body when she woke up in hospital one month after the accident. She still won’t look at herself in the mirror.
“I’m disgusted. I hate what I see. I feel like a freak,” said Stott. “I feel so unattractive but I know I’m going to look normal.”
The Ottawa native is counting the days until she’s released from hospital and transferred to a rehabilitation centre closer to home.
Her friends have started a crowd-funding campaign and have raised more than $60,000 to help purchase state-of-the-art prosthetic limbs. The Irish Embassy Pub, where Stott had been working, is also holding a fundraiser on February 11. All proceeds from the day’s sales will go to Sarah.
“We were out the night before and I hadn’t heard from her,” said Carrissa Bass, who is a co-worker and close friend of Stott’s. Friends and family members are deeply devastated by the tragic turn of events, but they also have a new-found admiration for Sarah.
READ MORE: ‘She has an amazing heart,’ friends raise money to help woman who was hit by train
“I always knew – as soon as I met her – how strong of a person she was instantly, but even after all this and for her experience, to still be persevering, and really strong, it’s amazing, really inspiring!” said Bass.
And despite the long road to recovery ahead, Stott feels fortunate to be surrounded by such love and support.
“I feel really grateful and fortunate. I’m really lucky. I mean everything happens for a reason. This clearly did, and yeah, it sucks right now, but I know it will get better!”
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