Inspirational mum Gill Hicks tap dances for her “10 power challenges”
FOR Gill Hicks, the difference between life and death can be measured with a stopwatch. It is three minutes and thirty seconds.
FOR Gill Hicks, the difference between life and death can be measured with a stopwatch — it is three minutes and thirty seconds.
The Adelaide-born London bombing survivor tap danced for exactly that time yesterday in front of a room full of people at a Women’s and Children’s Hospital Foundation lunch.
“I was technically gone for 28 minutes and the resuscitation team at the hospital in London made a decision to keep resuscitating for a further three minutes and thirty seconds,” Dr Hicks, a double amputee, said of her near-death experience in 2005.
“As the clock just struck over three minutes, there was a heart beat. So we created this performance to mimic that time.
“It’s such a short period of time but for me, it’s meant the difference between life and death.”
Having never tapped, Dr Hicks was gifted two lessons by the Australian Company of Performing Arts before she was thrust into the spotlight.
“It’s turned into more of a soft shoe shuffle,” she said after performing to a mix of Singin’ In The Rain and My Girl.
Yesterday’s challenge was the second in a series of “10 power challenges” Dr Hicks has set herself to commemorate the decade since she lost her legs in the London terrorist attack. The first was abseiling down Westpac House, Adelaide’s tallest building, and the next will be shark cage diving off Port Lincoln.
Yesterday’s cause was close to her heart, having given birth to her daughter, Amelie, 2, at the WCH.
“My little one is here and she’s healthy and thriving because of their expert care. I never ever stop saying thank you for all the medical teams that have not only ensured that my life was saved but enabled me to go on and give birth to a new life,” she said.