About the Founder
Diana's Story
When I woke up in the hospital to find that my right arm had been amputated after an ATV accident, my life changed forever…in the best way.
My name is Diana Gazzano Gibson. I’m the Founder of The Diana Adapted Foundation and a thriving amputee.
In June of 2016, I was in a traumatic ATV accident. We were only driving for a few minutes before we approached a bend that turned to the left. Going way too fast, the driver swerved to the right to overcorrect the turn at 40+mph. The ATV flipped onto its right side where I was sitting in the passenger seat and slid across the dusty dirt road until it came to a complete stop. It was when the ATV flipped over and slid along the dirt road that my arm was severely injured. I knew immediately that what occurred was catastrophic.
After a trip to the closest hospital, I was medevacked to a trauma hospital in Phoenix, Arizona. I still remember talking to Dr. Reece, the on call doctor at the time, when I arrived at the hospital. He said he was going to do everything he possibly could to save my right arm and that I would be going into surgery right away. I began to cry as I fell asleep.
When I woke up from my surgery as they were wheeling me back to the recovery room, I looked down at where my right arm should be. I realized it was gone. What was left was wrapped in thick white bandages.
I started to cry and asked the nurse a very obvious question, “They couldn't save it?" She said, “ No, sweetie, I'm sorry.” My head dropped back down to my pillow in sadness and I cried more until I was back asleep.
What I went through the day of the accident was a traumatic and significant life change. If you’ve experienced sudden limb loss, I’m sure you can relate to all the feelings I've described. Those first few hours and days can be filled with heavy emotions that can feel impossible to process. But one thing always remained the same for me, I vowed that the loss of my arm would not define me as a person.
In the days following the accident one of the first things I made sure of was that I allowed myself to grieve and be sad about the loss of my arm. I gave myself permission to be mad about what happened to me. I allowed myself to be in physical pain from everything my body had endured. And during this time I also made the conscious choice to focus on my abilities, not my inabilities.
As I’ve come to learn and appreciate, this mindset was (and still is) my secret weapon and greatest asset. When I decided that my new normal would not limit me, it actually propelled me into a new space in this world that I realized I was always meant to be in - a space of unimaginable strength, awareness, faith, encouragement, and inspiration with the underlying foundation of showing others that they too can elevate to accomplish whatever they're wanting to overcome.
Focusing on my abilities led me to get back to the gym 17 days after my accident. Prior to the accident I was someone you’d find at an early morning HIIT class before work 6 days a week. Did I have my doubts and fears as I walked into the gym this time? Absolutely. In fact, some of my loved ones told me it was too soon to be exercising, but I knew myself and my new focus on my abilities.
I challenged myself to get back to the gym with my trainers. And I’m so glad I did. I found that nothing was more fulfilling than being able to do everything that I once could with one arm - inside the gym and out. This sense of fulfillment from one area in my life is what’s helped me find the silver lining in every area of my post-accident life.
Your mindset after a massive life change, in my opinion, is the most important piece of the puzzle. It will make or break your entire life after experiencing something like this. When I declared how I thought about my sudden limb loss, I started to see my new life as a challenge in the best way. I was curious and persistent in figuring out what I could do. I took it day-by-day as I figured out how to tackle things in my daily life.
While I’ve figured out how to do so many things, one of my biggest challenges after sudden limb loss was becoming a mother.
During my pregnancy, some of my old fears surfaced. I worried about how I would be able to take care of my daughter after she was born. To date, learning how to take care of her has been my biggest and proudest milestone. What helped me navigate the transition to motherhood was the same work that helped me in the days and weeks after my accident. I focused on my mindset, fitness and daily independence and that’s the work I now help others with at The Diana Adapted Foundation.
Your Path to Success with Sudden Limb Difference
At The Diana Adapted Foundation there are three main ways I help people who have sudden limb differences or disability live their best and most fulfilling lives.
Adaptive Mindset
What you think about is a key factor in your recovery and life moving forward. You get to decide what kind of path you want to go down after sudden limb loss. That process starts with learning how to work through the grief of the situation and move forward.
Adaptive Fitness
Feeling physically strong leads to you feeling mentally strong, which is why fitness is so important on your journey. There are many ways to work out and exercise after sudden limb loss, you just need a little creativity. As you build physical strength, you’ll experience a ripple effect in your life that will leave you feeling more confident.
Adaptive Independence
It can be a lot to figure out day-to-day life with a sudden limb difference. I offer practical support to navigate daily tasks that can, at first, seem impossible to do.
In the future, I am planning to launch product kits to support your daily independence.
Through these three programs and more, I can help you find your path to a fulfilling life with a sudden limb difference or your disability.
Having a Disability Can Change Your Life for the Better
I often tell people that having a sudden limb difference or disability is your secret weapon in life. This experience can reveal physical and mental strength you didn’t know you had. It can become fuel for the rest of your life.
No matter where you are in your journey, this experience can shape your life in truly incredible, positive ways… even if you can’t imagine them right now. I know this because I’ve lived it daily since my accident and that’s why I’m so passionate about helping people through the programs at The Diana Adapted Foundation.
If you’re ready, today is the day your life can change. If you're ready, today is the day you can help change lives.
