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The legs were arranged neatly beneath Sophie Delezio’s window.
The three pairs of prosthetics captured in a photo told a story: the story of Sophie’s courage after she lost both of her limbs below the knee when a car crashed into her day care centre back in 2003.
Of course, it’s well known that Sophie’s story of courage didn’t end there. She survived a second serious car crash in 2006 and has gone on to become a force of inspiration for burn survivors across the world.
Now, Sophie – who welcomed a son, Frankie, with now-husband Joseph Salerno in September 2024 – is saying a poignant goodbye to her first pair of prosthetics.
“I’ve held onto you for so long, but now it’s time to let you go,” the mum shared to Instagram in an emotional post on September 29.
“You gave me more independence than I ever thought possible and taught me what it means to be accountable for my own physical needs.
“I didn’t like you at first, and yes, my physio had to beg me to wear you. But you became the centre of my independence,” she wrote.
Sophie went on to pay tribute to what her prosthetics had helped her achieve.
“Thank you for being the first to carry me and literally hold me up when I was so small. I wish I could keep you forever, but I know it’s time to say goodbye. You were falling apart in front of my eyes, so I’m taking that as a sign,” she wrote.
“Thank you for being the reminder of how far I’ve come. You are the pairs of tiny little legs that I will hold in my heart forever.”
Sophie’s poignant goodbye struck a chord with her 381,000 Instagram followers who took to the comments section to share their support.
“Bless you Sophie. You’re such a beautiful soul,” one wrote.
“This photo and content is absolutely amazing to me. Filled with so much and countless steps, real as well as metaphoric. Bravo you!” another added.
Indeed, Sophie has spoken candidly about the reality of living with a disability. She has described herself as a “part time wheelchair and part time prosthetic user”.
“I have pressure wounds that are the result of my prosthetic use that I have to treat every day,” she shared in a September 4 post.
“One wound can take weeks to years to heal. Some areas of my legs I have to put dressings on to avoid wounds too.
“This cost thousands of dollars a month and is just part of my day-to-day routine.”
Sophie went on to explain how, if she spends too long in her wheelchair, she suffers from “incredibly painful” hips and back.
“I also get pain in my right hand from over-using it when pushing my wheelchair around,” Sophie wrote, adding that she does “NOT” like people helping to push her.
Sophie’s husband Joseph knows all too well how fiercely independent she is.
The pair have known each other since they were six, but only dated after graduating school. They married in the NSW Hunter Valley in 2025.
“She has always been the strongest person I’ve ever known. I could tell from our first handshake, a very strong grip,” Joseph previously told The Australian Women’s Weekly.
“Strong, confident and generous, those three words best describe Sophie. That’s what I see when I’m with her.”
In her own tribute to her husband in a post on September 19, Sophie described Joseph as not only “the kindest” person she had ever known but “also the most creative, funny, empathetic, adventurous, calm, caring & generous person to walk this earth”.
“I am forever grateful that I get to spend the rest of my life with you and our little family,” she wrote.
“ You are the strongest person I have ever known and it gives me such pride to see you be the most amazing father to Frankie.
“We are the luckiest people to have you in our corner.”
