Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
NY Post Sneers At "Fashionista" Who Has Club Foot Amputated
By
Rebecca Fishbein
Published Nov 29, 2013
Modified Nov 29, 2013
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Rebecca Fishbein
Published Nov 29, 2013
Modified Nov 29, 2013
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
21-year-old Long Island native Mariah Serrano had one of her legs amputated in 2009, after suffering from a painful club foot deformation since birth. Though the decision to undergo the life-changing surgery was anything but easy, it enabled her to walk without difficulty—and as a bonus, the then-teenager was able to wear heels like her peers. It's a bittersweet tale of a young woman finding a silver lining in a tough break, but not in the eyes of the NY Post, which distorted her malady for a story sneeringly headlined "Fashionista has leg amputated so she can wear high heels." Unsurprisingly, Serrano, who in fact did not lose her leg just "so she could teeter around in stilettos," is not happy.
Serrano was born with a club foot, and though she underwent several surgical procedures and wore braces, her doctors were unable to correct it. "For some reason it was really difficult to correct," Serrano, whom the Post described as a "glamour girl," told us. "It actually took two surgeries before I was two years old to get it so I could ever walk." As she got older, Serrano suffered from more and more pain, undergoing surgeries in eighth and ninth grade that eventually left her with a staph infection. "It was just getting worse and worse," she said. In 2009, a doctor finally suggested she undergo a last-ditch effort to relieve her of her suffering—an amputation. "Obviously I was scared," Serrano said. "But there was a certain amount of relief to feel like I could finally have an answer, an opportunity to participate in my own life and not be in as much pain as I was in all the time."
The surgery ended up being the right answer, allowing Serrano to walk without pain and live her life as normally as possible. The formerly home-schooled student ended up going to college and getting a job in the fashion industry, just like she'd always wanted. And as a bonus, Serrano, who spent most of her childhood and teen years in sneakers, was able to wear heels. "It was really exciting to wear awesome shoes. It was this perk for something that seemed like something bad happening to me," Serrano said. "With the Post, I was trying so hard to explain to this woman that I was afraid I wasn't going to be able to pursue my dreams because I couldn't walk. It was so very exciting that I would be able to walk normally and be able to wear shoes."
Serrano responded to the Post's profile of her on her blog, titled Confessions Of A One-Legged Fashionista. "I did not choose to cut my leg off so I can wear high heels, I had my leg amputated because I was very sick and the quality of my health and life were suffering," she wrote in her most recent post. "Doctors do not welcome the idea that you are unhappy with your footwear choices, so you should remove body parts."
Heels or no heels, Serrano, who lives in Queens now and is an assistant designer for a clothing brand and a social media manager for Meg boutiques, doesn't regret her decision to amputate for a second. "I live a totally normal life," she said. "I have a totally awesome and normal life."
Tagged
amputee
long island
mariah serrano
ny post
queens
Rebecca Fishbein
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Peepapalooza: NYC is heading to the Hudson Valley to watch the leaves
Don't be surprised if you run into someone from your building in Beacon.
By
Elizabeth Shwe
and
Sean Carlson
Published Oct 24, 2026 at 10:46 a.m. ET
NYPD: Officer shot, injured knife-wielding woman during ‘chaotic’ night at Queens home
The woman is in stable condition, police said, but several people were stabbed.
By
Ryan Kost
News
NYPD: Officer shot, injured knife-wielding woman during ‘chaotic’ night at Queens home
The woman is in stable condition, police said, but several people were stabbed.
By
Ryan Kost
3 slates vying to run Jersey City school board as city stares down major tax hikes
By
Michael Sol Warren
5 men charged with trespassing in 2 Manhattan manhole cases
By
Charles Lane
6-year-old girl breaks leg after getting hit by falling bricks in Queens
By
Charles Lane
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .