A chance for child amputees to meet other kids who are “just like them” in Halifax this weekend.
The War Amps regional Child Amputee (CHAMP) Seminar is celebrating 50 years, helping families get equipped with the tools they need to support their child.
Tim Verney is a regional representative of the CHAMP program.
He tells our newsroom he was born with a partial foot on both legs and just a few toes.
“They were kind of unsure what to do with me, but they ended up taking my feet off at the heel at about nine months of age, which actually worked out to be a good idea, because I was also missing a growth plate in the ankle,” says Verney.
Vernon was 14 when he got involved in the War Amps program, thanks to the widow of his uncle, who had lost a leg.
“I think what I found very quickly was the commonality that other amputees had with me and it didn’t matter what the cause of their limb loss was, doesn’t matter where they were from, it was all very similar,” adds Verney.
“We were kind of all in this together, is how I sort of looked at it. And that was a life changing moment for me.”
He tells us he didn’t wear shorts growing up, even though his artificial legs were very hot.
It was his experience with the War Amps which helped him to become much more comfortable.
What is involved in the sessions
Verney says not only are the sessions inspiring, but they provide comradery and information is shared.
“It can be as simple as prosthetics. We have a session for the kids called ‘What bugs me’, where they get a chance to talk about things that bother them,” adds Verney.
He says they also find out ways to deal with bullying or problems with a prosthetic they might have or even find out how to participate in things they want to do.
The seminar is also as much for the parents as it is for the kids.
“There’s a lot of time for informal chat. For kids to play, for parents to talk over a cup of coffee or cup of tea, that kind of thing,” says Verney.
His main message
About 161 parents and children will be at the seminar.
Verney says his main message to them is “it’s what’s left that counts”, something he learned from a spokesperson many years ago.
“It is a badge of honour. There’s nothing wrong with being an amputee. It’s not something anybody necessarily wants to be, but it is something that is very unique and makes for a lot of creativity,” notes Verney.
He says every day you have to figure out how to do things.
“It’s very much a positive message but also recognizing there are hard times…there are hard days and that’s ok.”
The seminar is at the Marriott Hotel, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday.
