Mother and daughter have new lease of life

A woman from Todmorden and her daughter are enjoying new leases of life after a surgeon operated on them both to relieve their early-stage arthritis.
Janet Kershaw, 58, and Laura Turner, 29Janet Kershaw, 58, and Laura Turner, 29
Janet Kershaw, 58, and Laura Turner, 29

Janet Kershaw, 58, a retired nursery nurse, had her knee caps replaced by consultant Winston Kim after enduring years of pain which left her barely able to get up and down the stairs.

She says her life has been changed by the operation, enabling her to go on climbing holidays, take part in a weekly keep-fit class and even a 10km charity walk.

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Janet said: “I spent my entire career working with very small children, which involved a lot of bending, sitting on low chairs, kneeling and crouching.

“My knees started to creak when I was in my 30s, and I saw a consultant who said they were starting to wear out. He told me I had the knees of a sprinter and would have trouble in years to come.

“About nine years ago I had an arthroscopy on my right knee, which involved shaving and smoothing the worn-out knee bone.

“It was fine for a while, but then four years ago I slipped at work and a scan showed my left knee had had it, so I had an arthroscopy on that too.

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“But, a year later, I could only get upstairs by crawling because the pain was so great again.”

But after surgery to replace both her knee caps, Janet’s life has been changed - she has even been able to go climbing in the Rockies.

Her daughter Laura Turner, 29, who lives in Bacup, Lancashire, was born with hip dysplasia, a congenital condition where the hip joint is not aligned as the ball fits into the socket at an angle, and she suffered from damaged hip cartilage.

Laura, a nurse, endured years of agony before she was diagnosed with early-stage arthritis in her left hip.

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She underwent keyhole surgery and since then, Laura has been able to take up jogging and ride an exercise bicycle.

Previously, she was in pain just sitting in certain positions or getting in and out of a car.

Laura, who suffered with her hips since she was teenager, said: “Even getting in and out of the car or simply sitting in certain positions was painful,” she said.

“Its made an amazing difference to my life.”

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