Brave Air Cadet, 15, marches for first time after amputation ends years of pain Harriet Wright only had a third of the normal amount of calf muscle in her left leg and she had severe arthritis in her ankle joint She also had foot drop which meant she couldn't lift her foot properly This caused her to frequently break her toes when she was walking For a year before surgery she had to use a wheelchair and was in pain She decided to have the leg amputated four months ago and can now march with her fellow Air Cadets using a prosthetic leg By Sarah Yates and Emma Innes Four months ago, Harriet Wright, 15, decided to have her leg amputated and she can now march with her fellow Air Cadets A teenage Air Cadet has marched for the first time - after asking surgeons to amputate her left leg. Harriet Wright, 15, was born with club foot, she only had a third of the calf muscle she should have had in her left leg, and she had severe arthritis in her ankle joints. She also had foot drop - the inability to lift the foot and toes properly when walking. As a result, she experienced years of treatments and pain. So, four months ago, the schoolgirl took the decision to have her leg amputated. Just a week after undergoing major surgery Harriet was back at school sitting a Media and Film studies GCSE that she passed with an A grade. Before the surgery she broke toes on her left foot about six times because of her foot drop. She said: "The operation was the best thing in the world for me. I was in a wheelchair for a year before the operation. It really got me down that I couldn't march alongside my peers, I hated being in the wheelchair, unfortunately the pain stopped me from being able to do it. Now, 12 months on, I can stand on parade and will be doing full marches with the Air Cadets in the coming months. To stand alongside them and bang the drum was the best feeling in the world. It may have rained on the parade, but nothing can take away the sense of joy I have at being able to stand tall without the pain. I was in constant pain before and in last year's march I was in a wheelchair in agony with my foot and ankle hurting so much. There is not a hint of regret about the decision. I had no doubts that what I was doing was the right thing. Harriet, from Stockport, added: "Before the operation my consultant asked: "What will you do if the man who loves you says something about your limb?" But I replied that doesn't matter, he'll love me for who I am. Harriet explained that before the operation her left leg was a lot shorter than her right one. Harriet was born with club foot. She only had a third of the normal amount of calf muscle in her leg and had severe arthritis in her ankle. She also struggled to lift her foot up when walking so kept breaking her toes Before her operation, Harriet (pictured at a parade a year ago) was in a wheelchair and suffered agonising pain in her leg. Her mobility was also decreasing rapidly Just a week after undergoing major surgery Harriet was back at school sitting a Media and Film studies GCSE that she passed with an A grade Doctors used a frame to try and stretch it but this failed to help her walk as the nerves in her foot did not work properly meaning she could not lift it up and routinely broke her toes. Her mother, Amanda, 47, said: "Harriet got an A in the exam just a week after the operation and we are all in awe of her, she is inspirational. When she had her operation, she simply said it was the best thing in the world, there was not a hint of regret. When Harriet was a child (pictured) she had numerous procedures to help treat her club foot but she remained in pain and still struggled to walk Harriet said: 'The operation was the best thing in the world for me. It really got me down that I couldn't march alongside my peers, I hated being in the wheelchair' We had discussed it two years before and the consultants wanted second opinions to make sure, but Harriet started deteriorating quite rapidly - her movement became more and more limited. When she was walking in the house she would be breaking her toes, she did it six or seven times as if she didn't pick her knee up high enough, her toes would drag behind and break if she knocked them on the stairs or the floor. Her father Tim, 48, who manufactures paint in the family firm, added: "We're absolutely delighted for Harriet - at last she has a pain free existence." Harriet said: 'There is not a hint of regret about the decision. I had no doubts that what I was doing was the right thing The doctors are amazed at the amount of activity Harriet has already undertaken and say she's months ahead of a normal recovery. Harriet is now trying to raise money for two new prosthetic limbs not available on the NHS - one for social purposes and another for cycling. To donate, visit www.justgiving.com/local/project/HarrietsFundraisingPage/ Club foot is a deformity of the foot and ankle that is present from birth. It causes the foot to point down and inwards with the soles of the feet facing backwards. It affects one baby in every 1,000 in the UK and the cause is unknown. Boys are twice as likely to be affected as girls and about half of the children born with club foot have both feet affected. The first treatment involves using a cast to gently manipulate the foot into a better position. Most babies then need surgery to allow the foot a more normal range of movement. The child will then need special boots attached to a bar to hold the foot in place. In about 95 per cent of patients, this treatment is successful.