One woman’s extraordinary fight to live on her own terms.
Judy Berna, reclaiming her life in the smallest moments.
By Rick Bontkowski
One of the remarkable things about writing is that you never really know where your words will land. You toss a story into the universe, hope someone besides your mother reads it, and occasionally something wonderful happens. A stranger writes back. A conversation begins. And suddenly, two people who have never met discover they have something worth sharing.
That’s how I met Judy Berna.
Judy reached out after reading something I’d written. What followed was the story of a woman who has spent nearly 60 years negotiating with a body that apparently missed several important meetings during its construction. Born with spina bifida, Judy endured a childhood of surgeries, infections, braces, and a severely deformed foot she desperately tried to hide. While most people view amputation as the ultimate loss, Judy saw something else entirely. Freedom.
In 2004, after years of searching for a surgeon who understood, she voluntarily had her left leg amputated. Imagine having to convince a doctor that removing part of your body might actually improve your life. It did. Judy learned to ski, explored mountains, and discovered physical freedoms she’d spent decades watching other people enjoy. She eventually wrote a book about her journey, guided by a philosophy she would share with countless others: “Do what you have to, to get the life you really want.” Then life decided to test her own advice.
Complications from thyroid surgery in 2025 paralyzed her vocal cords. Suddenly, breathing became difficult, speaking nearly impossible, and a tracheostomy became necessary. The woman who had willingly surrendered a leg to reclaim her independence was now fighting to reclaim her voice. She couldn’t read bedtime stories to her grandson Eli. Couldn’t sing Christmas carols. The woman who had conquered mountains found herself longing for the simplest moments.
Today, Judy’s voice is slowly returning. She’s also finding her way back to writing, reaching people who may be fighting battles of their own. I thought I was telling the story of a woman who chose amputation. Instead, I discovered something far more important. We don’t always get to choose what life takes from us. But we can choose what we refuse to let it take. Judy’s story reached me through words. Now, perhaps, it will reach someone who needs them.
Rick Bontkowski, a Chicago native and amputee, is the host creator of The AMP’D UP211 Podcast. A drummer, cyclist, and advocate, Rick shares the stories of people with limb differences to inspire, inform, and challenge perceptions worldwide. Contact info: Ampup211@gmail.com, ampup211.com, youtube.com/@theampdup211podcast6, instagram.com/rick_bontkowski.
{Discover additional stories from Rick’s podcast on our website at thespringsmagazine.com/category/health-wellness/ampd-up211/.}
