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Amy has spoken of the devastating moment her life changed forever.A Leeds woman has spoken out about the devastating moment her life changed forever when she was hit by a car when she was a child.Amy Stevenson was just eight-years-old when her life was changed forever. She and a friend she had been playing with were waiting to cross the road with the other girl’s mum when Amy was knocked down.”I don’t remember any of it,” Amy said in a video created for the “Life. Loss. Learning. Legacy” project. “I remember being in the hospital after being in ICU on a ward for six weeks.”I was paralysed down my right side due to a head injury and my right eye was closed.”Amy had also suffered a broken left femur, as well as a break to her growing plate, which caused concerns that her arm would no longer grow. “I had a lovely childhood…The car that knocked me down was driving too fast and too close to the curb. It was a really hard time for me and my family and my mum and my friends and everything.”But although the crash itself would have taken just a matter of moments, its repercussions would last a lifetime for Amy – even after she was discharged from hospital. “I felt like I was weird and nobody really wanted to know me,” said Amy, who spent the next 10 years in and out of hospital for surgery . “I felt really lonely and was overthinking all of the time. I used to worry a lot about the pressure put on my family because it affected my brothers and sister dealing with my mum not being there, and of course my mum. I was really worried about my life going forward and what sort of things I was going to have.Get all the latest and breaking news in Leeds by signing up to our newsletter here.”Would I have my own home or children or dogs I could walk? When I was 18, I didn’t feel like I had had enough rehabilitation and felt like I had kind of been forgotten about.”Amy went on to do her own research and found out about a treatment in Miami where doctors would connect wires to different muscles and the brain while she was stood up or walking and she could see on a monitor what was working. She said: “I could see the muscles I thought weren’t working worked.”Amy went on two trips to Miami for the treatment. She said: “It gave me the confidence to know I could do something. I have always been really determined since then. Maybe the fear of not being able to do something has turned me into this person determined to do whatever I want to.”Amy Stevenson(Image: One Trauma Support/Lippy People)She said she has now accepted herself and added: “I know the lady who caused my accident and I don’t feel any resentment towards her. I think it’s really important to forgive people for something she didn’t set out to do that evening.”Looking back, I have had such a brilliant life. I have got married, had children, got two dogs and am loving life. I have achieved everything I was frightened about when I was a teenager. It made me realise that time I spent worrying and scared about these things happening to me, I didn’t need to waste all of the time worrying about it.”Amy has told her story as part of a project launched by Day One Trauma Support, a Leeds-based charity dedicated to helping people who have suffered with serious or life-changing injuries. The charity has partnered with Lippy People, a charity that uses video storytelling to support people sharing their experiences, to create important and hard-hitting clips, including Amy’s. “Storytelling is a uniquely human way of connecting,” said Amy. “It creates a lasting legacy, highlighting experiences, lessons and perspectives that might otherwise go unheard. In telling our stories, we have created connections, lasting friendships, and a sense of belonging and shared understanding.“We hope our stories do more than just raise awareness. We hope they build empathy, inspire reflection, start conversations and ultimately improve things for people recovering from life-changing injury.”Carley Stubbs, Head of Lived Experience and Social Research at Day One Trauma Support said: “Stories have the power to change how we see the world. Recovery is much more than just survival. This project encapsulates our charity’s goal of building a community of people who can support one another.“They know, from lived experience, how life feels when it is shattered in an instant, and what it takes to recover from injury, rebuild their life and reclaim their identity. Thank you to each storyteller who shared their experiences with honesty and courage, and to Lippy People for bringing this project to life.”Pete Towson, of Lippy People said: “From the very first time I met each Day One storyteller, I knew this project was going to be something special.“It quickly became clear that we were creating a collection of truly incredible stories. A real highlight has also been watching the social connections grow among the members; seeing the power of peer support and the creation of such a supportive space for sharing and learning has been a true joy.”LeedsLive has launched a WhatsApp community and anyone who joins will get the latest breaking news and top stories sent direct to their phone. To join click here .If you don’t like our community, you can leave any time. We also treat members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. Read our privacy notice here .

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Leeds United have already sanctioned Pascal Struijk’s departure this summer and are looking to offload several more players before the transfer window closes.

The Whites would have preferred to keep Struijk, but once it became clear he would not sign a new contract, the club opted to cash in before the end of June to help balance the books.

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Leeds are now focused on trimming the squad further, with several players outside Daniel Farke’s plans and unlikely to play a meaningful role in the Premier League next season.

Isaac Schmidt is among those expected to return from loan this summer, but he is not part of Farke’s long-term thinking. The defender is widely expected to leave Elland Road again, with interest already emerging from clubs in his native Switzerland.

Leeds United take major Isaac Schmidt decision

Isaac Schmidt spent last season on loan at Werder Bremen, but didn’t do enough to earn a permanent stay at the German club at the end of the campaign.

He started six league matches and made another 13 appearances from the bench. Although he marked his debut with a goal, he failed to register another goal or assist as his loan side finished six points clear of the relegation zone.

The German club ultimately decided against making the move permanent.

Young Boys and FC Basel are interested in taking the defender back to Switzerland this summer. However, Leeds have clear expectations for a deal.

According to the Yorkshire Evening Post, Leeds will push for a permanent sale of Schmidt, two years into his four-year contract at Elland Road.

He does not have a future at Elland Road, and the Whites are keen to sell him for a fee, rather than accept one more loan offer.

Leeds need to offload several players

Isaac Schmidt is one of several players Leeds United are hoping to move on this summer, as the defender is not part of Daniel Farke’s long-term plans.

Largie Ramazani is set to return for pre-season, but Valencia are continuing to work on a deal to bring him back to the Mestalla after last season’s loan spell.

Mateo Joseph’s future remains uncertain. A knee injury has complicated any potential transfer, making it increasingly likely that he will still be at Elland Road once the window closes.

Joel Piroe is widely expected to leave as Leeds look to bring in a new striker, although there are no advanced talks over his exit at this stage.

Wilfried Gnonto is another player who could depart before the deadline, but Leeds are still waiting for a club to meet their valuation of the Italian winger.