Jeanette Jardine

Jeanette Jardine- “I couldn’t be without my cosmetic arm."

Jeanette Jardine is a full of life individual, a successful businesswoman and mother of two from Berkshire.

In 2007, Jeanette was seriously injured after being struck by a car on the pavement whilst posting a letter. This resulted in her having her right arm amputated above the elbow. Despite going through this traumatic experience, she took the situation in her stride and wanted to get back to living her life as soon as possible. Just seven days after coming out of the hospital; to everyone’s surprise, she returned to work with a smile on her face. “In the hospital my friend came to visit me and said, “Jeanette will consider this a minor inconvenience and get on with life” Since then, this is the attitude she has adopted; "Not to let losing my arm dictate my life.”

Following the accident, Jeanette explored her options regarding having a prosthetic arm. “If I had an elbow joint, I would have had a wider choice of functional prostheses available to me. However, losing this joint resulted in me going ahead with a cosmetic prosthesis instead”, said Jeanette.

Jeanette visited Dorset Orthopaedic in Ringwood to have a bespoke cosmetic arm constructed and hasn’t looked back. Over the course of the next fifteen years, she has had three summer cosmetic arms and two winter arms crafted for her. “The process is extremely detailed”, said Jeanette. “I asked for a smaller arm, so that attention isn’t drawn to it. I have lots of veins and freckles applied. There are three or four colours included in the nail bed itself to make it as realistic as possible, I am keen to have nail varnish applied so the quality of the nails and the realistic aspect of the nails is important to me. Jeanette continues. “Once, whilst wearing my cosmetic arm, I was speaking to an Amputee Specialist who did not notice I was an amputee, wearing a prosthetic. This is a mainly due to the success of the fluidity texture and colour of the arm and just how lifelike it is”.

Despite losing her dominant hand Jeanette has made adaptations in all aspects of life. She regularly plays tennis, skis, swims, takes art classes (using her left hand) and spends time with loved ones including her grandchildren and friends. Having a cosmetic arm has enabled Jeanette to live her life without any barriers and present as an individual who appears as complete as she did prior to her accident. “It’s amazing what you can do with one arm, I am not too worried that it has no function”, said Jeanette. “The arm gives me confidence… in a room filled with people I don’t feel like I am struggling with my presentation. I am more comfortable feeling ‘entire’ and truly don’t feel held back at all. If you were to ask my children whether I am the same person as I was pre accident, they would say “yes and more,” expressed Jeanette. On top of having a profound confidence wearing her lifelike silicone arm, it has also helped to massively reduce the phantom limb pain which she once suffered with. Phantom limb pain is thought to affect 80% of amputees and wearing the cosmeses essentially tricks the brain into thinking that Jeanette still has her arm, therefore reducing the once agonising pain.

Jeanette is a passionate believer that in life, lots can be overcome with the right mindset and sharing of information with others. The right prostheses are out there for everyone, whether that be functional or cosmetic. “Find a way that suits you and your lifestyle, speak to other amputees if you can, you don’t know what someone else can provide you with in terms of thinking outside of the box to help you adapt to everyday life.” Jeanette’s lifelike cosmeses has allowed her to maintain the confidence she has always had, and she continues to be a larger-than-life character spreading positivity wherever she goes.