Major health update on tourist, 22, whose legs were torn off by boat propeller
Hannah Smith, 22, remains in hospital with her devastated family by her side as she continues to recover from a tragic accident in the Bahamas which saw her lose both her legs
A university graduate who was sucked into a boat 's propeller and had both her legs torn off has undergone more than a dozen surgeries, her heartbroken sister has revealed.
Hannah Smith, 22, was on a dream trip to the Bahamas last month as she celebrated graduating with top honours for her arts degree at Miles College, Alabama when tragedy struck. According to the young woman's family, Hannah fell from the side of a pontoon boat as it was docking and was suddenly dragged beneath the water by its propeller, leaving her with catastrophic injuries and partially severed legs.
Two female passengers managed to grab her arm and pull her back on board and she was airlifted to the US for surgery. The family set up a GoFundMe page to cover the mounting medical bills and in the latest update, Rachel Smith revealed her sister is still "fighting".
"Your continued prayers and support are very much needed and appreciated," the update reads. "Hannah has undergone her 13th surgery with more to come. This journey is taking a physical, emotional, mental and spiritual toll. Please keep her lifted in your thoughts and prayers. She is fighting!!! Thank you for all the love and support."
Hannah's parents Tracy and Marvin Smith, as well as sister Rachel, have travelled from their home in Tennessee to be by her bedside in a Miami hospital. In another update, Rachel said her sister is "progressing slowly".
"Hannah underwent her sixth surgery Monday May 20, 2025. This was one of her less extensive procedures," it read. "Doctors more so used this time for debridement, examination, and determining a plan of action. She is progressing slowly but surely day by day. Her strength and ability to overcome every obstacle in her journey is beautiful!"
Another update, posted on May 17, reads: "Hannah suffered a few setbacks. She had to undergo additional transfusions of blood, platelets, and dialysis. Before she was taken into her scheduled surgery, she momentarily came out of her sedation. She was able to acknowledge our presence and encouraging words with head nods and squeezing our hands. She has underwent her fifth surgery. Please continue to keep her in your thoughts and prayers."
Just a week after the tragedy, Hannah's devastated parents told the Mirror their daughter was a Crossfit-loving athlete who was a keen cheerleader, footballer and track runner. "She's still in intensive care, but she's conscious when she's not in surgery," Marvin told the Mirror. "She definitely knows we're there supporting her. It means the world to her, she was so happy when she regained consciousness that we were all here."
"We're trying to keep her spirits up," added emotional mum Tracy. "She's in a lot of pain. We're trying to practise techniques to distract her from it. Encourage her and just try to keep her pushing forward."
The Royal Bahamas Police said an investigation into the freak accident was ongoing, adding in a statement: "The victim is alleged to have entered the water from a vessel she was a passenger on while it was attempting to dock. She sustained serious injuries to her lower body, caused by the vessel's propeller."
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She shared: "In each appointment, we'd be reviewing their medical history, we would be doing an ultrasound scan, which would be to confirm the gestation. And it's really important to us that people always have the choice about that, whether they see the scan, know about the scan. And they also have the option to know nothing. "It's up to the person what that experience would be like for them. We also do really, really rigorous safeguarding, which is very, very important because pregnant women are at a significant risk for femicide, more than the general population, and are vulnerable to other types of abuse. So if we can identify any of those things, we can put support in place." A lesser-known part of Kendall's job involved making referrals to GPs, social services, charities and other healthcare providers, depending on the needs of the individual, as well as offering further testing. The final part of the appointment would see Kendall going through the medications with the patient in detail. She clarified: "They can take everything home if they want to or they can pick the first pill with me basically." According to Kendall, it's a common misconception that the majority of those who walk through the doors of the clinic are young girls. However, more than half are already mothers. Kendall told us: "It's a really big family planning decision, so sometimes you're having those conversations with people who are in these situations where they say 'This is something that's really detrimental to my other children for various reasons', or they're just not in the kind of life situation where they feel they can provide." All those who come through the clinic are offered a raft of support from counsellors and psychologists, as well as support from doctors if additional medical advice is needed. Naturally, and as with any line of healthcare work, providing abortion care comes with its own set of challenges. Kendall will talk with women from all sorts of complex situations, and this may well be the first time they've opened up about their issues to a healthcare provider. Kendall also faces preparing patients for the physical realities of the procedure itself, which, while safe, can also be "very painful". Of course, there are the usual challenges faced by so many nurses in 21st-century Britain, from pressures to time constraints. As Kendall noted, "You always want more time to spend with people to make sure that they have everything they need, that they're going home and feeling confident about what they're doing, and in terms of actually taking the medication to feel that they understand the whole system." But then you factor in that this is a procedure many will have not had much time to plan for, with life often "getting in the way" at every turn. Kendall explained: "This isn't the kind of appointment that someone has booked in for weeks and weeks and weeks. Life gets in the way. And so we do get people who arrive late because of train travel if they've come from afar, or child care issues, that's a big one that we get. We just try to make sure that we can see everybody as soon as they want to be seen." Like many women, Kendall knows through her own personal experiences just how important this line of healthcare is, but all too often, abortion care remains a taboo subject. She believes this lingering stigmatisation can be tackled by people, including high-profile figures and celebrities, sharing their personal stories. Although the nature of her work may seem heavy, Kendall has found many moments of positivity in her career so far. She revealed: "One of my favourite pieces of feedback I ever had was when I first started out and the patient left a note to say, 'I really appreciated that the nurse somehow made me laugh in what was like a really difficult situation for myself'. She just talked about how she went away and felt really satisfied with the experience. She felt supported, didn't feel alone in that situation, and she felt confident about what had happened." Kendall also derives satisfaction from times when, during challenging safeguarding situations, when she's implemented much-needed support for an individual, "and maybe helped them to get out of, or to take a step to get out". She reflected: "There have been some horrible stories in the news recently about some really upsetting cases of femicide. I think knowing that maybe you play your role in preventing something like that by escalating those referrals." Under the Global Gag Rule, organisations such as MSI are prohibited from receiving US government funding as they provide abortion services, slashing access to services such as family planning and maternity centres in a campaign Kendall fears will "result in deaths of millions of people" However, ultimately, Kendall holds out hope that the world is "continuing to move in the right direction" on this front. Polls show that British people overwhelmingly are not represented by those who walk in the March for Life protests - an annual US-funded anti-choice event, set to take place again this September. Furthermore, as noted by Kendall, there have been signs of progress elsewhere in the world, with more than 60 countries and territories having liberalised their abortion legislation over the past 30 years. Out of these, as per the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), just four, including the US, have regressed. As an American who regularly hears concerning stories about abortion legislation from back home, Kendall is "proud to be a part of ensuring" women's access to essential healthcare. She said: "It's nice to work in a clinic that's dedicated to doing this because it just means that like everyone that's working here has got like-minded, that you know that hopefully people coming in feel that and feel like it's a non-judgmental space and that they're here with a nurse who wants to support them."
