'The Challenge' Star Has Foot Amputated After Accident
Since his 2023 crash, the MTV star underwent six surgeries.
Nelson Thomas continues to heal. A year after a car crash in which he was rendered unable to walk for three months, The Challenge alum shares he had his right leg amputated below the knee.
"The moment I moved my knee for the first time," he described after the March 5 surgery on TikTok. "Witnessing it in person, was truly remarkable." In the video, the reality TV personality alum can be heard telling medical staff he's already considering competing in the 2024 Paralympic Games. According to him, "I am truly blessed."
@mtv_nelson The moment I moved my knee for the first time, witnessing it in person, was truly remarkable. – – #march5th #amputee #belowkneeamputee #blessed
♬ original sound – Nelson Thomas
In the comments left on the post, fans expressed their appreciation for his recovery, as did his ex and former MTV costar Angela Babiecz, who wrote, "Wishing you a speedy recovery."
The 35-year-old has undergone six surgeries since his 2023 crash that led to him receiving a DWI. He received three plates and 22 screws in his right leg.
Despite physical therapy, stem cell therapy, and electrical stimulation, Thomas was diagnosed with a nonunion, or unhealable fracture, so he decided to amputate.
"I'm at peace with it," he told People in February. "I've prayed about it. I've wrote in my journal, I've read books. I've done all my research that I can do. I've done everything I can to try to save my foot. There's a lot of people out there, even friends, they're calling me: 'Nelson, you have a chance to keep your foot and look normal and walk around.' But then you have to ask yourself, 'What kind of quality of life do I want to live?' "
Thomas considered having an ankle or Tibio-talo-calcaneal (TTC) fusion that would have left him "with no mobility in my ankle," he said. "I could be in and out the hospital for the next year, and I could be in pain for the rest of my life."
He spoke with people who had previously undergone ankle fusions and found their experiences unsatisfactory. "Everyone I've talked to had nothing but negative things to say about it," Thomas said. "They told me, 'Nelson, if I was brave enough back then to do an amputation and cut it off, I would've done it a long time ago.'" Thomas decided to amputate after researching further.
"I said, 'Mom, I'm ready to move forward with my life. I'm ready for a new chapter,'" the Are You the One? alum told the outlet. "I think He's given me all the signs to get an amputation and join the world of amputees."
Ultimately, Thomas realized that there was hope for his future. "Everybody always tells people, 'the light at the end of the tunnel,' but nobody tells you how long the tunnel is. They don't tell you how dark it is or how hard it is," he said. "But I want to bring people in and show you, don't be ashamed because you're shedding tears. Crying is good. It's helped me a lot. I don't have all the answers for you right now, but I'm not hiding anything from nobody. This is who I am."