Images via Flair Magazine
Going by her motto “the loss of a limb doesn’t equate to the loss of a fulfilling life,” Rania Hammad is proving that life-changing scares and scars don't have to hold anyone back from living life to the fullest. The Dubai-based British Egyptian fashion designer lost her leg having survived an accident, but has been counting her blessings with a newly found appreciation for people with diverse abilities.
Hammad was born in London to an Egyptian family and raised in Cairo. As she grew up, she took a course in computer science at German University in Cairo before deciding to pursue a career in fashion design in Dubai. Unfortunately, things would take a dark turn for the fashion designer in 2018. On June 15 of that year, she got hit by a train while pregnant with her child. Luckily, her son survived, but the accident left Hammad without her left leg and requiring multiple surgeries overseas. The ordeal left her as an amputee as she experienced stigma from people around her. In an interview by Vogue Arabia, while in Australia, she recalled being mocked by some individuals, while passing parents would tell their children not to look at her.
However, this did not defer her from living life as she had before the accident. In fact, her ordeal helped her find a new appreciation for people with diverse abilities like herself, while bringing the public's attention to them. In addition, a blogger was on the same flight as Hammad and, wanting to share her strength with the world, he took a photo of her. Ever since, she gained a large following on her Instagram account @rania__hammad, where she shares her personal stories and inspirational quotes.
In the near future, in fact, Hammad would like to see the fashion industry be more inclusive to people like her. “I would love the industry to be more inclusive when it comes to photo shoots, just like we’ve seen with models of various sizes. Let’s add clothing for people with disabilities, and introduce more differently abled models. It will encourage people to love their bodies,” she told Vogue Arabia.
