Manon Middendorp (25) lost her lower left leg in a tragic car accident at age 17, but has turned this adversity into strength. Thus, she has begun law school to assist victims and is fighting for a more equitable healthcare system. 

The car accident occurred on August 12, 2016, when she and her then-in-law were on their way to a vacation destination. Unfortunately, they never arrived there. The van she was in was overlooked by a truck driver and a crash rendered the car uncontrollable and knocked it over several times. When Manon recovered in the hospital on the operating table, a long and intensive period of surgery, rehabilitation and mental processing began. So followed a period of surgery after surgery, during which doctors tried to save her left foot. Some time later, it became clear that her foot was dying, and when Manon developed a 42-degree fever, she had to undergo amputation of her left foot within two days.

Meanwhile, her parents were looking for a future prospect for their courageous daughter. So her parents got in touch with prosthetist Frank Jol, who recommended amputating from her knee 25 centimeters down rather than from the ankle, to ensure better functionality with a prosthesis. This decision later allowed Manon to resume an active lifestyle.

In the early stages (after the amputation of her lower left leg), Manon wanted a prosthesis that mimicked her own leg as much as possible. She came to a prosthetic maker in her area and got a leg that looked as real as possible. Manon had a new leg, but after some time she noticed that her surroundings reacted in a limited way to her dreams. For example, when she expressed a desire to snowboard, she was told that this was not possible. But Manon did not give up and used Bibian Mentel as inspiration: "If she can do it, why not me? She looked for opportunities and eventually ended up with Frank Jol. A world opened up for her and Frank motivated her to let go of the picture of a leg that was as real as possible, and go for a prosthesis where she could live life to the fullest again. At Frank Jol, she learned to embrace not only her new prosthesis, but also her new self-image, in which she stood for strength and possibilities.

She found exercise again, but new obstacles also came her way. During her rehabilitation, she met a young woman whose lower leg had been amputated due to illness. This young woman told Manon that her dream was to be able to wear a heel again, but did not have access to an advanced prosthesis - where this is possible. This touched Manon: "Why could I get that through insurance, and others couldn't? Manon's sense of injustice grew, especially when her lawyer explained to her that in personal injury cases, prostheses are often reimbursed, but not by insurance e.g. due to illness (think cancer) or a congenital physical defect. This moment became crucial for Manon and so she began her dream: she decided to study law to assist victims and improve the healthcare system. Manon uses her personal experiences and her law degree to make a powerful difference. With a clear mission to break taboos and fight for a more just society, she is an inspiration to young people with physical challenges. She wants to show young people that a physical challenge does not limit you, but rather makes you stronger.

'When I first came into contact with prosthesis as a seventeen-year-old, I missed female role models who I could look up to who were going through the same thing,' Manon says. 'In the Netherlands - apart from Bibian - you hardly have any girls in the spotlight who have gone through the same thing.' 'I became very insecure about that as a young lady, because in every fashion magazine I opened I saw perfect women, without scars or an amputation. It gave me an insecure feeling of ''I don't belong.'' 'I hope companies start working with people with physical challenges so that society looks at them differently, society becomes more inclusive but also so younger generations can be proud of all their scars, or amputation.' Now that I'm in my 20s, I want to be just that strong woman who stands up and says, ''you do belong, and you're beautiful the way you are, inside and out.'' 

Will you commit to making the dreams of people with physical challenges come true? Become a donor and support our mission: to get so many people with physical challenges back into life independently and confidently. With your contribution, we will literally get them moving again, give them the right tools to pursue their dreams and work towards an inclusive society. Who will you give an equal opportunity? Take action or donate!