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Backstory: My scars are my strength says Mandy McCracken, radio host and quad amputee

"I can fall apart at any time, literally," says Mandy McCracken with a laugh.

And she does actually mean physically, not emotionally, although that would be perfectly understandable given what she's been through.

Mandy McCracken is a quadruple amputee and her prosthetic arms and feet occasionally fall off at the most inconvenient times.

"Recently, I went to the bathroom and my right hand got stuck in my jeans and came off and I had to call my husband for help!" she says with another laugh.

McCracken likes to look on the bright side of life, which is remarkable considering how tough her life has been for the past five years.

Close to death

In 2013, the mother of three girls became suddenly and seriously ill with group A streptococcal (GAS) blood infection.

Husband Rod was told she had an extremely low chance of surviving.

While McCracken defied the odds, her hands and feet suffered extensive tissue death and had to be amputated to save her life.

She spent almost a year in hospital recovering, learning how to function without her limbs, how to walk again, and how to deal with the psychological impact.

Choosing to be positive

"Coming to terms with the fact my limbs had to be amputated was initially straightforward as it was obvious my hands were completely dead, but the hard thing was trying to learn to be positive after that," says Mandy.

"Five years later, I still have ups and downs.

"Life is vastly different, my husband is my full-time carer and had to leave work to look after me and the kids, but the important thing is accepting that you can't go back to what you were."

As part of coming to terms with her traumatic experience, Mandy McCracken started talking about it, giving speeches and media interviews.

"When I was in hospital just after my amputation I saw Matthew Ames on television," she said.

"He is also a quad amputee and was talking about how he survived it, what he was doing now, and seeing him enjoying life gave me strength and purpose.

"I thought it's important to tell other people that bad stuff can happen to you, and you can be ok, it's not the end of the world.
"It was a bit hard to do early in the piece and there were lots of tears whenever I stood in front of an audience but now I wear this as a badge of honour.

Talking about resilience

A video of one of Mandy's speeches posted online caught the eye of ABC Melbourne radio content director Mick James who thought she had potential as a presenter and looked for opportunities, such as co-hosting the Conversation Hour with ABC Melbourne broadcaster Jon Faine.

She was then offered a 10-week stint hosting the national 4pm-6pm Saturday afternoon slot on digital radio, which streams while sport is broadcast on analogue services.

"I was intrigued by Mandy's matter-of-fact approach, her curiosity about others and the humour with which she approaches the world," James says.

It was a job offer from left field.

Mandy McCracken worked in marketing before having children and had never contemplated an on-air radio gig.

This was her first step back into the paid workforce and she needed her husband by her side, in case those pesky prosthetic limbs came off at the wrong time.

"It's not been as difficult as I thought it would be," McCracken says.

"An ABC occupational therapist went through the studio and we worked out the buttons I can and can't push.

"I have a hook which makes pressing buttons easier but I can't put headphones on, so my producer must do that.

"I had some presenting training, but the best training has been all the public speaking I've done.

"I think the fact that I have been interviewed a lot has paid off because I know what it's like to be an interviewee — you get really nervous and you really want it to sound great.

Everyone has a story

"Mandy is still learning about the radio game and improving with each week," James says.

"Her natural curiosity shines through as does her genuine interest in people's stories.

"We're pleased with how she is developing and will continue to look for opportunities to get her on air once this stint ends."

And Mandy McCracken is keen to keep the on-air conversation going.

"I enjoy learning about what other people are doing, particularly those who are doing something to make a difference to their community," she says.

"Everyone is struggling with something and everyone has got an incredible story to tell.

"I'm loving it and it's interesting my latest career has evolved out of losing my hands and feet."

Listen to Mandy McCracken's Saturday afternoon program from 4pm-6pm on ABC digital radio.