Courtney Echerd
When I learned I would be losing my entire leg to cancer, I could only see my life shrinking to an unrecognizable size. I found exactly one woman posting online about her experience on one leg and seeing that she was dating, traveling around the world, living alone, and sharing her story allowed me to believe those things were possible for myself, too. I began to see that my art as an actor and writer could have more depth and power because of my story.
Everything, and I mean everything, in my life is very different. It has taken years of physical therapy, rest, and recovery to get to where I am today and I’m still worlds from where I want to be. Each day takes more planning and creativity than ever before, but it’s also very liberating to know that I’m truly living my life my way.
Tragedy is part of every life. It takes different shapes and arrives at different times, but we will all experience things that change our lives for the more difficult. We must use these rewrites to shape and propel us.
All things I’ve experienced — grief, cancer, limb loss, as well as the typical hardships of life — are notorious for separating people from who they truly are. This is exactly why artists who have experienced trauma must continue to make art — to bring us closer to ourselves.
