Getting your foot amputated is no laughing matter.
But Jo Beckwith somehow managed to find the humor in amputating her foot in a viral TikTok video.
Though it was a decision Beckwith didn't take lightly.
After suffering an ankle injury while horseback riding at age 13, Beckwith lived in pain for 14 years in spite of multiple surgeries and procedures,
Faced with the decision of either keeping her foot and being in pain for the rest of her life, or losing her foot and living pain free, Beckwith bravely chose the latter.
She made the decision knowing even with an amputation she could still live the active, athletic lifestyle she had become accustomed to.
Beckwith held a going away party of sorts the night before her operation in 2018.
Beckwith, as well as her friends and family, wrote goodbye notes to her foot, which Beckwith subsequently shared in a video on her TikTok account where she goes by the name @footlessjo.
@footlessjo The messages that came into #amputation with me! #funny #therapeutic #disability #amputee #fypシ
Overlaying herself over pictures of her since amputated foot, Beckwith shared some of the sweet, tongue-in-cheek messages her friends wrote on her foot the night prior to its amputation.
These included:
"Bye bye little piggies."
"Have a nice trip."
"Way to take a step in the right direction."
Beckwith also shared she wrote a "break-up note" to her foot, thanking her foot for "all the good times [they] had together" and giving it the popular, clichéd, break-up excuse: "it's not me, it's you."
Proving she was able to keep her sense of humor around the significant, life altering procedure, Beckwith also showed she drew scissors and a dotted-line around the ankle of the foot which would be amputated, in hopes doctors wouldn't cut off the wrong foot.
Beckwith, who has since become a public speaker and mental health advocate, addressed how throwing the party and having the notes and messages on her foot during the surgery was just what she needed to go into the surgery in a good place mentally.
"It was actually incredibly therapeutic for me to have a goodbye party for my foot before I lost it and have so many messages come into surgery with me."
Beckwith's TikTok followers were in awe of her resilience in the video's comment section.
@footlessjo/TikTok
@footlessjo/TikTok
@footlessjo/TikTok
@footlessjo/TikTok
@footlessjo/TikTok
@footlessjo/TikTok
Others thanked her for being so open about her decision, with some even sharing their own experiences of getting a limb amputated.
@footlessjo/TikTok
@footlessjo/TikTok
@footlessjo/TikTok
@footlessjo/TikTok
@footlessjo/TikTok
Despite all the positive energy and optimism Beckwith brought in with her to her surgery, it sadly wasn't all smooth sailing afterward.
A few weeks after her procedure, Beckwith suffered a fall, which sent her back into the hospital and resulted in more of her leg being amputated.
She shared the experience in another TikTok video.
@footlessjo Two years ago TODAY, I had my leg amputated...crazy how much things have changed! 💜🦿#amputee #fyp
An experience that could have sent anyone on a downward spiral into depression, Beckwith's optimism remained resolute.
She eventually got a prosthetic leg and slowly found herself back to walking her dogs, hiking and running.
She credited all of her followers on TikTok with helping her get through these hardships.
"It has been a crazy journey, and I am so grateful to be able to move, and so grateful that YOU are here."
In an interview with Indy100, Beckwith admitted adjusting to her new life with a prosthetic leg took a lot of work, but she has slowly been able to adapt, even suggesting she may start tackling new experiences like jiu-jitsu.
"I'm focusing on actively enjoying my life right now and settling into a new normal."
"The past few years have been filled with a lot of big things, and I felt like I was in survival mode 24/7."
"But as things have evened out and I've figured out a new normal, I'm working on relaxing into that and delighting in all the little things like being able to walk my pups and enjoy the gorgeous Colorado hiking."
There's no doubt with her determination, she can tackle anything she sets her mind to.
