Inspiring amputee to release documentary about her road to recovery

A woman who lost her leg when she was struck by a taxi in New York in 2013, will give an insight into her journey coming to terms with life as an amputee in an upcoming documentary.

Sian Green, from Leicestershire, was on holiday with a friend when a taxi mounted the curb and hit her, severing her leg. She almost bled to death, but poeple who witnessed the incident came to her aid and she survived after being rushed to hospital.

Video diary & charity

For five years immediately after the incident, Sian kept a video diary in which she recorded her recovery process – the good days and the bad.

Sian said: "It was triggering at first but as the years went by with filming, it got easier for me.

"It was almost quite therapeutic for me to keep reliving some moments and it actually helped me - it was definitely one of the things that helped me along the way."

She went on to set up her own charity, The Sian Green Foundation – which provides specialist care to amputees around the UK - and says the confidence gained through the video diary and her charity, also encouraged her to start speaking publicly about her experience. She says:

"One thing that people don't do is speak up.

"I do talks in schools now and to watch the children's faces change as I tell the story is really special.

"I was a fashion student and that's naturally where I thought my life was going to go but, because all this happened, it was like I just had to change direction - I never thought I would be public speaking.”

"It's strange how much I've changed and that part of my life I actually enjoy," she said.

Legal struggle

A major part of Sian's story involves her fight for justice after the incident happened.

Following an investigation in 2013 by the assistant district attorney, it was announced criminal charges would not be brought against the New York taxi driver, Faysal Himon.

Sian decided to file a lawsuit against the city of New York for $27.5 million (£17 million), in which it was claimed Faysal Himon should not have been driving at the time of the incident due to a temporary ban, which was not imposed due to a computer glitch at the Taxi & Limousine Commission. Later that same year, it was reported that Sian's lawyer for the civil case, Daniel G P Marchese, believed the "incident was not an accident but rather a negligent act of calculated recklessness to which my client was the victim".

In 2019, Sian was compensated just $150,000 for her life changing injuries - funds which would go towards the medical bills she incurred as part of her recovery.

"There were no official charges pressed against the cab driver - he was banned from driving for 30 days.

"It was a bit of a slap on the wrist and that was it," she said.

Documentary

Now, seven years after the incident, Sian’s story will be shared in a feature-length documentary, which is yet to be released. The documentary - footage of which was featured in the BBC's Inside Out programme in 2019 - will give an insight into Sian's long and, often, difficult journey to recovery. Wayne Kelly, of Spoon Jar Films, is a producer working on the project. He said: "The thing with news cycles and things like that is the story is big for a little while and that's it.

"Sian is still out there and spreading her story and message today but what you don't see is everything that has gone on behind that - she is really inspirational.

"She has worked really hard to get where she is now - it's a story that deserves to be told," he said.