THE community has rallied around a young newlywed mother after she lost her lower leg in a horror lawn mowing accident.
Megan McKee and her wife Stephanie Pascoe moved to Paxton in the Hunter Valley about six weeks ago, eloped on October 6 and celebrated their marriage with loved ones on October 19.
Just a week later, tragedy struck.
The "warm, funny and motivated" Mrs McKee was mowing the nature strip at their property on a ride-on lawn mower on October 26 when her wife heard screaming.
The mower had gone down an embankment in a freak accident, causing Mrs McKee a significant leg injury.
"I obviously ran out to her aid, and the first thing she said to me was 'I'm going to die'," Mrs Pascoe told the Newcastle Herald.
"The injuries were very apparent as soon as I got to her ... it was very graphic.
"She was losing a lot of blood very quickly."
Neighbours they barely knew ran to their aid immediately, one stripping her shirt off as she crossed the road to make a tourniquet, two men following a short time later with belts.
Others rushed over to help block the sun, fan flies and make sure the shocked Mrs Pascoe was okay as she held her wife's foot together.
"Our neighbours were incredible, they saved her life," Mrs Pascoe said.
"They kept her alive, they were keeping her calm, they were reassuring her that help was on the way."
Mrs McKee was treated by paramedics before the Westpac Rescue Helicopter flew her to John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle, where she underwent emergency surgery that night.
"On Sunday morning the surgeons came around to say that unfortunately they could not save her foot and that she would be having to undergo a below-knee amputation," Mrs Pascoe said.
"Obviously at first it was a big shock, there were tears, but since then, she's just taken it in her stride.
"She's like 'okay, this is what we've got to do', and she cracks jokes and tries to make light of the situation, she wants to be a Paralympian now."
Mrs McKee went into her amputation surgery on Friday.
"We know there's dark days coming but Megs will just cop it on the chin and she'll go onto the next day, she's just the strongest person I know," Mrs Pascoe said.
A fundraising page has been set up as the couple prepare for more time in hospital, lengthy rehabilitation, the prosthetic journey and getting their new place ready for Mrs McKee to come home to.
"Everyone has offered to mow our lawns for the rest of our lives - the support that we've received from obviously our friends and family, but our community and neighbours is incredible," Mrs Pascoe said.
She thanked the paramedics and Westpac chopper crew for their work.
