A personal trainer who intervened to stop a teenager running into a busy road says her act of kindness has left her facing a £10,000 surgery bill and struggling to earn a living.
Ruth Forbes, 43, was walking along a high street when she spotted a teenager who appeared to be drunk and was about to run into traffic. Wanting to prevent the girl from being hit by a car, Ruth grabbed hold of her.
But she claims the teenager lashed out and kicked her in the face, sending her falling backwards and injuring her left knee. The personal trainer, from Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, initially thought she had simply twisted her knee, limped back to her car, iced the injury at home and hoped the pain would eventually subside.
Injury Leads to Diagnosis of Bone-on-Bone Arthritis
Her knee never recovered, leaving her struggling with constant pain and unable to bend or fully straighten her leg. After visiting her GP around one month later, Ruth was referred to a physiotherapist. An X-ray subsequently revealed painful "bone-on-bone" arthritis in the outer part of her knee, with doctors reportedly telling her the injury had caused the cartilage to wear away.
Ruth says she has been told a partial knee replacement is her only option. However, she expects to have to pay for the operation privately because of NHS waiting times, with the procedure potentially costing up to £10,000.
Despite the ordeal, she insists she has no regrets about stepping in to help the teenager. Ruth said: "She was either drunk or on something. I just wanted to help so she didn't get hit by a car."
Impact on Career and Crowdfunding Appeal
The injury has had a devastating impact on Ruth's career as a self-employed personal trainer. Although she has managed to continue working some hours with existing clients, she says she cannot safely demonstrate exercises to new customers, making it difficult to grow her business. She had to stop working for around six weeks because she could barely stand and has been unable to train for a competition she had planned to enter in November.
Ruth said: "I'm a self-employed personal trainer. If I ask the client to do something, I can't demonstrate. I don't want them getting it wrong and getting injured."
A GoFundMe fundraiser has been set up by Ruth to help cover the cost of her surgery and living expenses while she recovers.
