A Harpenden amputee who appealed on social media for a new prosthetic leg to help her pursue her ambitions to be a ballerina, has reached the final stages of the Brave Britons 2021 Against All Odds category.

In April 2007, when she was just two years old, Pollyanna Hope was hit by a London bus, resulting in her losing her right leg below the knee. Her mother Sarah also suffered very severe leg injuries in the same incident, and sadly her grandmother Elizabeth lost her life.

In the wake of the tragedy, her family founded the charity Elizabeth's Legacy of Hope in her grandma's memory to give prosthetic limbs to amputee children in Sierra Leone, Liberia and India.

In 2012 Sarah campaigned for all child amputees in the UK to receive activity blades so they could be fit, healthy and active like able bodied children.

Now 15, Pollyanna's prosthetic leg helps her to dance on the tips of her toes. She previously used a running blade to dance but wanted to do ‘pointe’ work on both legs, and after taking things into her own hands her Twitter appeal for a prosthetic leg was viewed more than 330,000 times.

Her mum Sarah said: "Pollyanna is a bubbly, bright, happy and cheerful 16-year-old who loves all the normal things in life! She loves her friends, she loves music, she loves her dog but most of all she loves dancing!

"She first showed an interest in dancing when she was just a very little girl and she still loves it now. Pollyanna dances at the Place in London every Saturday and Wednesday with the Contemporary Advanced Training and she is also in the Trinity Laban Youth Company. However, she has also just received her first prosthetic pointe leg, so she can now do ballet en pointe.

"She is an inspiration to so many amputees, Pollyanna really feels there is nothing she can't do, despite the difficulties sometimes.

"Pollyanna has undergone so many operations in her life as her bone has continued to grow but now with the help of the NHS she has a new walking leg, running blade and swimming leg too."

The Amplifon Awards for Brave Britons celebrate the achievements of exceptional people and animals from all walks of life, of all ages and from all over the UK.

Four finalists will be selected in each category and the winner will be announced at an awards ceremony on October 5.