Now 9, Trixy Wuts walks around on her stumps, or wears a set of prosthetics made at the limb centre.

When 4-year-old Trixy Wuts had both feet amputated there were no children's books to help her parents explain the surgery.

Margot and Anton Wuts searched internationally for any kind of resource book to help their daughter understand amputation, but nothing was available.

Five years later the Hawke's Bay couple from Haumoana have written and illustrated the children's book called Little Jellybean, designed to support families with a child preparing for amputation.

Eva Bradley Photography Trixy Wuts experience having both feet amputated inspired mother Margot Wuts to write a book to help other children facing a similar experience.

It will be supplied free of charge when they visit hospitals or surgeons.

The project began when the Amputee Society approached Margot to see if she would like to be involved in creating a resource for children in Trixy's situation.

She had wanted to write a book.

The society funded it, Margot wrote the words, Anton drew the pictures and their family became the story's characters.

The plot followed Trixy's journey.

She was born with a condition called arthrogryposis which resulted in severe foot deformity.

"It was horrific," Margot said.

"At two and a half years old [Trixy] had her first complete foot reconstruction, she could only walk for three weeks before her feet started reverting to the way they were before."

To keep her feet she required this same major surgery every two to three years until she turned 16.

Once the years of painful operations were complete Trixy would be left with very small feet, which had no movement, similar to a pair of prosthetics from 100 years ago.

Margot said amputation was different for each person, but for Trixy her feet were the source of so much pain during the first four years of her life that losing them was a relief.

"After the surgery she woke up and said, 'Mum I've got no feet'. It was Christmas for her," Margot said.

Little Jellybean followed her surgery and trips to the artificial limb centre in Wellington, where Trixy received her new feet and was able to try on shoes for the first time.

Now Trixy, 9, walks around on her stumps, or wears a set of prosthetics made at the limb centre.

The book had inspired her daughter so much Trixy had written and illustrated her own home-made books about each member of her family.

Five years after her surgery she loved music, animals, gymnastics and dancing.

She grows out of her prosthetics every seven to eight months and she was looking forward to having special prosthetic legs one day for wearing high heels, running and swimming.

The book also contained a letter from Margot to other parents.

"It would have been amazing to have something like this before [Trixy's] surgery," she said.

"But there wasn't anything like this anywhere in the world."

She and Trixy attended an Amputee Society event in Christchurch last month where they helped launch the book and signed copies.