CRUSHED!

Little Zayaan lost her legs after a car ploughed into her family home. Now, just three months later, she's on the move again

- BOHEMIA JUMATT

HE HELPS her put on her makeshift shoes, adjusting the Velcro straps so the pads are snug and comfortable. The little girl is so excited to get going she can hardly sit still and as soon as her dad's done, she totters down the driveway to join her friends waiting for her at the gate.

It's a proud moment for Rashaad Matthews. Three months ago, he thought he'd never see his daughter leave hospital, let alone walk again.

Six-year-old Zayaan Johnson lost her legs after a car ploughed into their home in Manenberg, Cape Town, one Sunday morning as she was on her way to play with her friends. A wall collapsed on her and crushed her bones.

She was rushed to the Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital but she'd lost so much blood, doctors had to amputate both legs above the knees to stem the bleeding and save her life.

Zayaan spent three months in hospital after contracting an infection following the amputation surgery. She also went under the knife eight times to reconstruct the bones in her thighs.