[ APPLAUSE ]
>>> AMBER LEE'S SURVIVAL STORY
IS AMAZING.
SHE WAS LIVING THE CALIFORNIA
DREAM WITH HER HUSBAND AND TWO
KIDS.
THEN, A RANDOM ACCIDENT CHANGED
THE COURSE OF HER LIFE FOREVER.
SHE'S NOW DETAILED HER JOURNEY
IN HER NEW BOOK, TRUE GRIT AND
GRACE, TURNING TRAGEDY INTO
TRIUMPH.
AND, BOY, IS THAT TRUE IN HER
CASE.
HERE'S HER STORY.
WATCH.
>> YOU KNOW, FINALLY, I HAD THE
MAN OF MY DREAMS.
WE HAD A BABY.
MY OLDEST DAUGHTER WAS 13.
AND JUST, LIFE WAS GOOD.
>> Reporter: A WIFE, MOTHER,
FITNESS MODEL AND PERSONAL
TRAINER, SHE WAS LIVING THE
CALIFORNIA DREAM.
>> AND I FELT LIKE THE RUG WAS
PULLED OUT FROM UNDERNEATH ME.
IN AN INSTANT, EVERYTHING WAS
CHANGED.
>> 911.
>> HI.
THERE'S AN ACCIDENT ON VENTURA
BOULEVARD.
>> A GIRL CAME OUT OF HER
MOTORCYCLE AND GOT SMASHED.
>> DOES SHE NEED PARAMEDICS?
>> HER LEG IS TWISTED.
>> Reporter: A TRUCK HIT THE
MOTORCYCLE THAT SHE WAS RIDING.
>> I IMMEDIATELY HAD PAIN.
AND I LOOKED DOWN AT MY LEG AND
JUST HELD ON TO MY LEG.
IT WAS JUST CRUMBLED INTO
PIECES.
IT WAS LIKE ONE OF THOSE SCARY
MOVIES WHERE YOU SEE EVERY BEAT
OF YOUR HEART, THE PULSING, THE
BLOOD WAS COMING OUT.
I THOUGHT, OH.
WHEN PEOPLE STARTED APPROACHING
ME, THAT'S WHEN I STARTED TO
REALIZE SOMETHING -- THIS MIGHT
BE MORE SERIOUS THAN I THINK
BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T RUN TO ME.
THEY DIDN'T -- THEY KIND OF
WALKED AND STOPPED AND STOOD IN
PLACE.
AND ONE LADY FAINTED.
>> Reporter: HER HUSBAND, JOHN,
A RETIRED POLICE LIEUTENANT
ARRIVED QUICKLY.
>> AND I HEARD THIS WAILING.
AND I WAS LIKE, WHAT IS THAT?
AND IT WAS MY HUSBAND.
AND I SAID, JOHNNY, I NEED YOU
TO GET OVER HERE AND BE STRONG
FOR ME.
AND THE LAST THING I REMEMBER
BEFORE THEY PUT ME IN INDUCED
COMA, HE HELD MY HAND AND THE
NURSE SAID, WE'RE GOING TO GIVE
YOU SOMETHING TO MAKE YOU FEEL
BETTER NOW.
>> Reporter: WHILE SHE WAS IN A
COMA, DOCTORS ASKED JOHN IF THEY
COULD AMPUTATE HER LEG.
HE REFUSED.
>> HE SAID, WHEN SHE WAKES UP
OUT OF A COMA, I WANT HER TO BE
THE ONE TO MAKE A DECISION ON
WHETHER OR NOT HER LEG IS GOING
TO BE AMPUTATED.
>> Reporter: HER FEMORAL ARTERY
WAS SEVERED AND THE LEG,
SHATTERED.
AND THE CHANCE OF SAVING IT,
JUST 1%.
SHE WOULD SPEND THREE MONTHS IN
THE HOSPITAL AND SHE UNDERWENT
34 SURGERIES.
BUT NOTHING COULD KEEP HER DOWN.
AMBERLEY LAGO, COME ON OUT.
>> TO NICE TO BE HERE.
>> THANK YOU FOR COMING.
I KNOW YOU WANT TO HEAR ABOUT
AM
[ APPLAUSE ]
>>> WELCOME BACK, EVERYONE.
WE'RE HERE WITH AMBERLY LAGO AND
HER LIFE WAS CHANGED WHEN HER
MOTORCYCLE WAS HIT BY A SUV.
SHE FOUGHT THROUGH SURGERIES AND
PHYSICAL THERAPY AND WRITES
ABOUT ALL OF THIS AND OVERCOMING
IN HER ADVERSITY IN HER BOOK
"TRUE GRIT AND GRACE: TURNING
TRAGEDY INTO TRIUMPH."
SHE KNOWS OF WHAT SHE WRITES.
AMBERLY, 34 SURGERIES.
THE PAIN ON A SCALE OF ONE TO
TEN THAT YOU WENT THROUGH IN
RECOVERY WAS WHAT?
>> I WOULD SAY ABOUT 12.
>> IT WAS OFF THE CHARTS.
>> IT WAS AWFUL.
AND I THOUGHT THE PAIN -- I
THOUGHT, IT'S GOING TO GET
BETTER T
BETTER.
AND GROWING UP, I WAS TAUGHT TO
PUSH THROUGH THE PAIN AND SUCK
IT UP.
I THOUGHT, THIS IS PART OF IT.
BEING AN ATHLETE AND A DANCER MY
WHOLE LIFE KIND OF HELPED ME TO
KEEP SUCKING IT UP AND MOVE
FORWARD.
THE PAIN WAS JUST HORRIBLE EVERY
DAY.
>> I KNOW THE DOCTOR SAID, HE
SHOWED YOU A SALTINE CRACKER.
TO EXPLAIN WHAT HAD HAPPENED TO
YOUR LEG.
>> HE WAS IN THE CAFETERIA WITH
MY HUSBAND.
AND HE RAN INTO MY DOCTOR, WHO
SAVED MY LEG.
AND HE WAS EATING A BOWL OF
SOUP.
AND HE GRABBED A CRACKER AND
BROKE IT.
AND HE SAID, JOHN, THIS IS WHAT
A BREAK IS.
AND HE CRUMBLED THE CRACKER AND
IT FELL.
AND HE SAID, THIS IS WHAT YOUR
WIFE HAS.
BASICALLY, IT WAS CRUSHED.
IT WAS SHATTERED.
>> THAT'S WHY THEY THOUGHT YOU
SHOULD AMPUTATE IT.
WHY DON'T YOU CHOOSE THAT?
A LOT OF PEOPLE LIVE WITH A
PROSTHETIC AND DO FINE.
>> TO ME, IT WAS NEVER A CHOICE
IN MY MIND, I THINK, BECAUSE I
WAS A DANCER MY WHOLE LIFE.
AND THEN, A FITNESS TRAINER AND
THE FITNESS INDUSTRY.
AND A BIG RUNNER.
I RAN EVERY DAY.
RUNNING WAS MY -- THAT WAS MY
GO-TO.
THAT WAS MY THERAPY.
THAT WAS MY DRUG OF CHOICE.
THAT'S WHAT I ALWAYS TURN TO.
AND I THOUGHT, HOW WOULD I DO
THAT.
YOU KNOW.
THERE'S PLENTY OF PEOPLE WHO DO
RUN.
FOR ME, I WANTED TO KEEP MY LEG.
>> ALL OF THE SURGERIES LATER.
TONS OF PAIN THROUGHOUT THE
PROCESS.
YOU GRIT IT OUT.
THEN, YOU FIND OUT YOU HAVE
SOMETHING CALLED COMPLEX
REGIONAL PAIN SYNDROME, WHICH
THEY CALL SUICIDE DISEASE.
BECAUSE?
>> THERE'S NO KNOWN CURE.
IT LEAVES YOU IN CONSTANT
CHRONIC PAIN.
AND THE PAIN IS RANKED HIGHER ON
THE PAIN SCALE THAN ANYTHING.
PASSING A KIDNEY STONE,
CHILDBIRTH.
IT'S RANKED HIGHER.
THERE'S NO KNOWN CURE.
YOU'RE LEFT EVERY DAY, IF YOU'RE
IN A FLARE-UP ESPECIALLY IN
CONSTANT CHRONIC PAIN.
PEOPLE, ONCE THEY FIND OUT
THEY'RE GOING TO LIVE THEIR
LIVES THAT WAY, A LOT OF TIMES
PEOPLE SLOWLY KILL THEMSELVES
WITH DRUGS AND ALCOHOL.
OR THEY TAKE THEIR LIVES THEN
AND THERE.
>> CHRONIC PAIN CAN CAUSE GREAT
DEPRESSION.
AND I KNOW YOU SUFFERED THAT AS
WELL.
TURNING TRAGEDY INTO TRIUMPH,
HOW DO YOU GET PAST THAT?
I THINK A LOT OF US WOULD NOT BE
ABLE TO.
>> I WAS IN A REALLY DARK PLACE.
AND I THINK WE ALL HAVE THAT
LIGHT INSIDE OF US.
AND FOR ME, MINE WAS GETTING
REALLY DIM.
AND I THINK IT WAS GOD'S BRACE
THAT GOT ME THROUGH.
I GOT ON MY KNEES AND I PRAYED.
I NEEDED HELP.
I REACHED OUT TO PEOPLE FOR
SUPPORT.
BUT I ALSO -- I THOUGHT, YOU
KNOW, I HAVE A CHOICE HERE.
I CAN EITHER GO DOWN THAT ROAD
OF DESPAIR AND SELF-PITY AND
DEPRESSION.
OR I CAN MAKE THIS BETTER, MAKE
A LIFE FOR MYSELF.
AND SO, I STARTED -- I GOT A
NOTE PAD THAT I HAD.
AND I WAS WRITING EVERYTHING I
WAS GRATEFUL FOR.
AND WHETHER THAT BE THAT IT WAS
IN THE HOSPITAL, THAT I HAD A
VIEW FROM THE HOSPITAL ROOM.
BUT I WROTE EVERYTHING I WAS
GRATEFUL FOR.
I WROTE DOWN THE NURSES' NAMES
THAT CAME IN TO CHECK ON ME.
>> EVERYONE SAYS THAT GRATITUDE
JOURNAL REALLY WORKS.
EVERYBODY SAYS THAT WORKS.
>> IT WORKS.
>> CAN I ASK YOU?
I KNOW AT SOME POINT, YOU
THOUGHT, DID I MAKE THE RIGHT
CHOICE?
I'M IN SO MUCH PAIN.
I'LL TAKE IT NOW.
I'LL GO FOR THE PROSTHETIC.
AND THEY SIDE, NO.
YOU WILL HAVE THIS DISEASE,
COMPLEX REGIONAL PAIN SYNDROME.
HOW CAN THEY BE?
>> I MADE IT THROUGH ALL OF THE
SURGERIES ONLY TO BE IN CONSTANT
PAIN.
I WAS SO PROUD TO BE UPRIGHT AND
WALKING.
I THOUGHT, WHEN I LEARNED IT'S
NOT GOING TO GET BETTER, I SAID,
JUST TAKE IT.
JUST AMPUTATE IT.
THEY SAID, WE CAN'T DO IT.
IT'S IN YOUR SYMPATHETIC NERVOUS
SYSTEM.
IT'S LIKE A COMPUTER THAT NEEDS
TO BE REBOOTED.
I HAD EVERY KIND OF DREAM WHERE
THEY PUT METAL LEADS IN YOUR
SPINE, IT DIDN'T WORK FOR ME.
>> THEY TRIED TO MANAGE IT.
BUT FOR YOU, IT'S FIND OVER
MATTER.
>> IT'S A LOT OF MINDFULNESS,
FOR SURE.
>> IT'S LIKE A LOT OF OUR
VIEWERS ARE PATIENTS WHO ARE
CHRONIC PAIN PATIENTS.
READ THIS BOOK BECAUSE THERE'S
NO WAY SHE DOESN'T GET WHAT
YOU'RE DOING THROUGH WITH THE 34
SURGERIES AND THE SUICIDE
DISEASE.
IT'S A TERRIBLE TERM.
AND MAYBE THERE'S HOPE.
IF YOU CAN GET THROUGH WHAT YOU
DESCRIBE AS FIRE ANTS ALL OVER
YOUR LEG, ON A DAILY BASIS, WHAT
ELSE COULD YOU HANDLE?
WHAT ELSE CAN THE HUMAN SPIRIT
TAKE AND BE BEAUTIFUL IN EVERY