'It was take them off or die': Redcar Dad had legs amputated after Covid battle turned limbs black

A father of six has opened up about his Covid-19 ordeal after having to have both his legs amputated early in the pandemic.

Scott Green from Redcar was rushed to hospital on 24 March 2020, the first day of the UK national lockdown, after his condition worsened.

He didn't even know he had Covid at the time.

The 50-year-old, who has five sons and one daughter, says the last thing he remembers was just before he was taken to James Cook Hospital, then waking up roughly two months later.

Scott says it was his type 2 diabetes reaction to Covid-19 that left nurses and doctors fighting tirelessly to save his life.

"I can't remember what happened after that - I had no memory at all," he said.

"My wife tells me we got to Middlesbrough hospital in a taxi.

"The next thing I know I'm waking up a month later out of intensive care, taking a tube out of my mouth, and they ended up telling me I'd lost my legs to Covid.

"I didn't know I had Covid. It reacted with my (type 2) diabetes and shut the pulses down in my legs, so I lost all blood flow in my legs and they went black. It was either take them off, or I died."

Scott says it has taken him almost two years to be able to speak about the situation after he was diagnosed with PTSD following the incident.

He said he made a promise to one of his nurses that he would speak out about his story when he was ready.

"I have a nightmare about three or four times a week and it's me sitting there with my head in my hands telling me that I'm losing my legs," he said.

"I don't know if it was from the day they told me, or if it's just something in my head.

"Last year I was still fighting. I've been suffering from PTSD, and I am also suffering from depression as I lost my son to cancer when he was 17."

Scott also spoke of how losing his legs has had an impact on his life since recovering.

"I have an electric wheelchair now. We had to move house to a bungalow. I still drive a car - it's all been adapted so I can use my hands."

Scott's wife Lisa was by his side throughout the ordeal, and Scott described her as his rock: "My wife has been with me with everything. If it wasn't for my wife, I know I wouldn't be here now."

Despite the trauma Scott has faced in the last two years, he now feels much more positive and has been able to come to terms with his condition.

"Now I really am trying to look after my diabetes. I'm trying to control it a lot better, I'm doing lots of different types of exercise," he said.

"I know I'm doing better than I was. I was 18 stone but I'm down to 13 stone now. I lost a lot of weight when I was in the hospital."

Scott also said he finds it much easier to talk about his situation: "I was talking to a woman from a charity for about 12 weeks.

"I got it all out - and I can tell people a lot more about what's happened now. I'm more confident about talking to people and I don't really care about what people think I look like. I don't care if people look at me anymore."

Scott took the time to thank the staff at James Cook Hospital who saved his life: "I was in the hospital for about 16 weeks and if it wasn't for the hospital and the nurses and doctors I wouldn't be here now. You always hear stories about people who have died. I thought - I had Covid and I beat it. Ok, I lost my legs, but I still beat it."

• Watch the full report by Katie Cole