Tilly Lockey, 14, contracted meningitis as a toddler and was lucky to survive. As a result, she had both hands amputated and has had several operations and had to undergo regular physical therapy.
Despite this Tilly has never let it get in the way of her ambitions or dampen her positive attitude. She has traveled as a motivational speaker to many far-flung destinations such as Indonesia, America, China, and Mexico with lots more places scheduled this year.
Living in Consett with her parents and 3 sisters, she has been raised to be a very independent young woman and feels that losing her hands hasn’t necessarily been a negative experience.
She has embraced her unique situation and feels that she can help others through her experiences. Tilly has been working with Open Bionics in Bristol to develop the ‘Hero Arm’ which is a bionic limb and much more functional than anything she has had in the past. This has enabled her to complete many tasks that were never possible before and given her lots of new experiences.
Tilly Lockey is a keen model and influencer and spends a lot of time trying to inspire body positivity and encourage others to be confident and pursue their ambitions. She hopes that by sharing her story, it will encourage others to not let anything hold them back and realise they have the ability to achieve their dreams.