Rockwall cheerleader with amputated leg determined to cheer again
ROCKWALL, Texas - A cheerleader at Rockwall-Heath High School who had her leg amputated is determined to cheer again.
Brooke Walker says a sore foot had been bothering her for a while, but held off on going to the doctor.
She ended up in the hospital in February after she could no longer ignore the pain.
Three operations later doctors said Walker's lower left leg needed to be amputated in March because of a blood clot.
"It has changed the way I am going to live," said Walker.
The high school junior says her cheer teammates supported her along the way, filling her phone with texts and sending cards and flowers.
Brooke Walker
"The one thing I know about Brooke is that she always gives 100% and is extremely competitive," said Amanda Jones, Brooke's cheerleading coach. "If it was going to happen to any athlete I've ever had, the one that could handle it would be Brooke."
Walker still needs more time to heal from the procedure, but she says she will be trying on prosthetics in a couple of weeks in hopes that she will one day return to the mat.
"I love tumbling. Like, the feeling of flying through the air, flipping upside down. I love that feeling and I can't wait until I get my prosthetic, so I can feel that feeling again," said Walker.
Formerly conjoined twins now both home from hospital after being separated at Cook Children's
Walker's family is now raising money to get her a prosthetic leg that will allow her to return to cheerleading.
Walker says her insurance does not cover the specialized device.
"I have some great prosthesis people who are going to work with me and design it and let me try out different ways to see what will make me able to tumble and cheer like I was before," she said.
Brooke says she has always been competitive and will use that fire to return to the competition she loves.