SARAH Hazell, the grand daughter of former Canowindra residents John and Betty Fisher (nee Breen) was heading home for Christmas a year ago when her car veered off the highway south of Bungendore and rolled several times.
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Her right hand was all-but severed, "hanging on by a tiny tendon", according to Canberra Hospital plastic surgeon Ross Farhadieh.
It was December 6. Mr Farhadieh was off to see the latest James Bond movie with family.
He parked his car, and then his mobile rang with news of Sarah's accident.
The movie was ditched and Mr Farhadieh was in another theatre altogether by Sunday evening for an epic 14-hour surgery in which he painstakingly re-attached Sarah's hand.
One toilet break. No food. Just hour after hour of focus and concentration, as Mr Farhadieh performed what he believes could be the surgery of his life.
Within two weeks, Sarah was writing Christmas cards with the re-attached hand. A year later, she is back at university.
Now 21, Sarah, who is grand niece of Kevin and Ian Breen and Pauline Beath, Margaret Conlon and Mary Simpson, is close to tears as she speaks about what her doctors mean to her.
"Oh, I don't even have words," she said. "Just so grateful."
Four hours is the critical threshold for a severed limb to be without blood supply..
Mr Farhadieh had blood pumping again to the hand a little over four hours after Sarah's accident.
Sarah was then transported to Melbourne on insistence by Mr Farhadieh for follow-up surgery with leading specialist Wayne Morrison at St Vincent's Hospital.
Professor Morrison transferred skin and fat from her thigh onto her damaged arm.
There were three operations in Melbourne and within two weeks, Sarah was recovering at home in Moruya.
On the day of the accident, Sarah had finished her part time job and was feeling tired.
She still believed she was well enough to drive almost three hours to Moruya.
Witnesses say her car simply drifted off to the side of the road.
At the time, Sarah was studying to be a primary school teacher. She has since switched to public health, planning to become an occupational therapist or psychologist.
