A PENRYN businesswoman has told how a pioneering operation to create a new leg from a deformed limb has changed her life.

Juliette Platts was born with an extremely rare genetic disorder which meant she only had half a femur at the top of her leg and no socket joint in her hip.

Her lower leg projected out from the side of her body and hung uselessly at her side meaning 32-year-old Juliette could only wear a straight prosthetic leg, causing her great difficulty when trying to walk.

Despite her difficulties she managed to carve out a successful ten-year modelling career, including a stint as a KP Nuts girl, and now runs her own recruitment business, Revive Recruitment, from premises in Waterside House, Falmouth Road, Penryn.

Speaking exclusively to the Packet this week, Mrs Platts, who lives in Penryn, told how she had endured years of pain and discomfort before the operation carried out by pioneering surgeon Darren Fern.

Mr Fern is no stranger to carrying out difficult operations and hit the headlines last year when he stretched the legs of Emma Richards to allow her to reach the required height to become an air stewardess.

Since the age of two, Juliette has had to be fitted with 72 different prosthetic legs and endure painful operations.

"From the time I was 16 I had begged for something to take it off so I could have a new leg but nobody was prepared to carry out such an unusual operation," she said. "But then my GP told me there was someone at the Royal Cornwall Hospital who could carry it out. Within five minutes of meeting Darren Fern he told me he could carry it out. I cried. I was over the moon. I was so emotional.

Despite her elation at the news she was also told about the dangers she faced, she could suffer kidney failure or contract leukaemia from the cobalt metal in her leg. She was also told that she would not be able to have any more children.

The operation involved a complete hip replacement and the amputation of the protruding limb. The shinbone was then fused with what there was of the femur creating half a new leg with a stump. This allowed the fitting of a new prosthetic leg to the stump where the new knee would be giving her greater mobility.

In December 2002 the operation was booked to go ahead, but it was not until half an hour before that the enormity of it all hit her: "I just realised everything in my life was going to be completely different from now on," she said.

The seven-hour operation at the hospital, under the supervision of surgeon Darren Fern, was monitored by a Carlton film crew, and her 14-month recovery will be featured in a two part documentary to be screened next month.

"It was really tough because I was on a lot of drugs and I can't really remember the first six moths after the operation because I was so out of it.

"I was on a lot of pain-killing drugs and it made me just a really horrible person. It nearly broke up my marriage to Chris.

"The television crew following me at crucial stages during the year didn't help - thank God that's over."

But she has nothing for praise for surgeon Darren Fern. "I love him to bits," she said. "He really has changed my life, which is a really positive thing."

Throughout her ordeal she has been supported by husband Chris, who used to work at the Packet, and her elder daughter Eleanor, aged 11, as well as younger daughter Charlotte, aged two.

"Thing is, it was quite harrowing," said husband Chris, 26. "Juliette has a naturally positive attitude for life. The whole thing has been quite stressful on the family, but we've pulled through it.

But for Juliette her ordeal is not over. Her movement is still quite restricted and she is still getting pain and is going to have another operation to snip some nerves.

"She's been very brave and we are all very proud of her. I don't think I would have gone through something like this," said Chris.

When she was born Juliette suffered from a very rare condition, so rare that only 13 people in the world were born with it. The operation has never been carried out in the UK before.

"It's been hard," said Juliette "If I'd have known what I know now I wouldn't have done it because of the pain."

But the future now looks bright for Juliette and Chris with their new business doing well - so well, in fact, this week they took on two new staff,

The documentary will be shown on ITV in two parts on February 15 and 22 at 5.30pm.