Rania Hammad’s Heartening Journey Against All Odds

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The belief that “the loss of a limb doesn’t equate to the loss of a fulfilling life” is something that Rania Hammad takes straight to the heart. We have heard her story countless times but wanted to look at her inspirational journey from every possible angle. On that note, we had the pleasure of listening to her side of the story in-person and with a raw, unfiltered lens.

Rania was born in London, raised in Cairo and enrolled in a French school along with her twin sister, who shared her love of art and longing for creativity. After that, she studied computer science at GUC, and that’s when she decided to switch career paths and commit to her lifelong passion for fashion and design. Shortly after, Hammad went back to study at the London College of Fashion, which eventually set her on the path of designing personalized articles of clothes and haute couture concepts in Dubai.

However, on June 15th, 2018, Rania Hammad’s journey took an unexpected turn, and in the span of a few seconds, her life changed for good. While pregnant, Hammad got involved in an accident where she survived miraculously and fought for her life. She had to go through significant surgeries for six months until she delivered her miracle boy. Two years after, Rania had to travel alone due to Covid-19 restrictions to undergo her last surgery. She had her share of hardships but she slowly found the courage and confidence to show her bionic leg proudly in front of everyone; she simply wanted to normalize and raise awareness on people with diverse abilities. In an attempt to show people Rania’s strength throughout this journey, a blogger flight attendant took a picture of her on a plane and posted it. Because of that, her influence has been growing stronger ever since.

Rania also told us that keeping her family and passion in mind helped her maintain a strong mentality and stay grounded in her values. With a strong belief that “beauty and confidence come from within”, she decided to pursue her standards aside from what society had in store for her. She favors showing her true self as a survivor and strong-willed amputee rather than covering her leg up for approval and just to “fit in.” The British-Egyptian designer, who is now thirty, would go on to meet the challenges of rehabilitation and restore her life with a determination to embrace her new normal, while also navigating her way as an aspiring fashion figure wholeheartedly.

Stronger than ever, she is shifting her energy to impact people positively and using her platform to keep it real with her struggles and accomplishments in parallel. “I am not on Instagram for fame, attention, or validation,” she told us, explaining her urge for everyone to accept people as they are and not what the community sculpts them to be. “You don’t have to be a finished product,” she added while emphasizing that there is no harm in finding strength in vulnerability and pain. Hardships usually prepare ordinary people for some extraordinary events.

What would you do differently today than before?

I would count every blessing and be grateful for the good and the bad times. I would help people by sharing my story through any opportunity that comes my way, to make them feel that they are not alone. We all struggle in a way or another, yet unfortunately, it is rarely reflected on social media. This experience taught me to have more empathy for people. While my struggle is visible, other people may be fighting battles we know nothing about, so be kind to yourself and the people around you.

What advice can you give to anyone who is struggling mentally or physically?

I wish there was a guide that I could share for people going through any traumatic experience in their life. But let me say a few words that I hope will be useful.. You should always have faith that God has a plan for you, and in constant thinking about that, I found comfort in my darkest hours. Healing from any pain takes time, so one should be very patient with themselves and be hopeful that tomorrow will be a better day. Take one day at a time; don’t overwhelm yourself by thinking about the next week or month. Only try to live in the present. You will be going through an emotional roller coaster, and that is fine. Let it be and don’t try to resist it. Nothing lasts forever, whether it is the good or the bad times, and always rest assured that God will never send something your way unless he is sure you can handle it and thrive. Be kind and gentle to yourself. I promise you pain doesn’t last forever. We were all created to adapt and overcome.

What are you most proud of in your life?

I am proud that I have endured so much in the past couple of years and still think it’s not the end of the world. I am pleased that I learned that with every loss, we gain so much wisdom and see the real side of this life. Nothing matters more than God blessing me with strength, resilience and persistence.

Who has been supporting you the most throughout this journey?

It was never my battle alone. I am fortunate to have a very loving and supporting family who has been there for me every single day throughout this rough journey. But I have to say that if it wasn’t for my mother, I am not sure if I would have been able to overcome the loss during those hard times. She is my hero. She never left my side, and always reassured me that everything will be okay. And there’s my husband, who has been my support system and backbone through it all. They always say at weddings ‘together through thick and thin’, and well, he has proved this to be true.

Light Rapid-Fire Questions:

Leather or Denim? Denim

Go-to style? Simple Chic

Fashion Icon? Balmain’s designer, Olivier Rousteing

Heels or Flats? Flats

Night in or out? Bit of both