ATLANTA — A Georgia woman who beat incredible medical odds and survived is again fighting for her life - but she says she's determined to make it through.
Kim Steele is a quadruple amputee who focuses on lifting other people up.
She sends cards to people on her touchscreen computer every day just to let them know she's thinking of them. It helps her feel good on the inside.
Steel also makes sure she looks good on the outside and takes pride in her appearance.
"I've got make-up brushes, and I just put my makeup on and do it," she said. Her makeup routine looks a bit different as she balances her tools with a steady arm, but she uses a mirror and decent lighting much like anyone else.
"It makes me feel better that I am able to do my own makeup, get ready, get dressed," she said.
She documents each step on her YouTube channel, so other people going through it won't feel so alone.
Her videos explain skills amputees might find helpful, tips on how to adjust to a new lifestyle, and a few videos feature positive affirmations.
She said it's so no one will feel like she did when she woke up from a coma in 2016.
"I felt like I was helpless," she said. "In my mind, I thought, 'this is what my life is going to be like.' I will always have to have somebody take care of me."
The experience was triggered by a toxic reaction to a medication she had in May 2016. She quickly went septic and was given a 9% chance of living through the night.
"When I first saw my hands when I woke up, I didn't see my legs at first, they were just crumbled up. They were gone. I always went and had my nails done, my nails looked good, but my hands were black," she said.
Her doctors told her they would have to amputate both of her hands and both feet if she wanted to survive.
"I was devastated," she said. "I cried every day. It was awful."
Steele said she was depressed until she went to an inpatient rehabilitation program.
"That's when I decided I was going to fight for my life, and I fought so hard," she said. "They taught me how to do everything that I needed to know. And I walked out of there when I left."
She now lives independently and has written a book, gone skydiving, and became a peer advocate for other people facing amputation offering support and hope.
"I talk to amputees every single day. I have friends reach out to me saying 'can you talk to them'," she said.
After surviving a quadruple amputation, Steele spent a lot of time thinking about her health, so when she started to feel off a few months ago, she said she went to get checked out right away.
"I'm in early stages of acute myeloid leukemia," she said. The cancer is of the blood and bone marrow and is known to get worse quickly if left untreated, medical professionals say.
Steele said she's ready to fight for her life again and credits what she went through during her amputations for how fast she was able to detect the cancer.
"They said because we caught it early and were on top of it, that I am going to be OK," she said. "And I know I will be -- no matter what I am faced with."
Steele said outside of her family, it's the other amputees she's met who have supported her most after her cancer diagnosis. She said they have been sending her food and Pedialyte for the days she doesn't feel great, and notes of well wishes.
Steele just started treatment but says she is confident she will come out the other side just fine.
Those who would like to follow her journey can visit her website at https://www.livinglifewithnolimits.net. People can also help her with medical expenses by donating here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-kim-steele-beat-acute-myeloid-leukemia?member=17185715&utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet&utm_medium=copy_link_all&utm_source=customer