A Barriere mother and her nine-year-old daughter, Chloe flew off on a special mother-daughter adventure this past weekend to attend the Child Amputee (CHAMP) seminar in Vancouver.
The War Amps CHAMPS seminar kicked off on March 7 with a weekend for 92 amputees and their caregivers. This was the first B.C. seminar since the pandemic cancelled the last scheduled one in 2020. This year is the 50th anniversary of the CHAMPS Program.
Chloe’s mom, Jen Nickel told Black Press that the phrase preferred is often “limb different” and the CHAMPS program offers support in a variety of ways including assistance from older kids that have dealt with being amputees who befriend the younger kids learning how to cope.
“Regional CHAMP seminars provide young amputees and their parents an opportunity to learn about amputation, access valuable resources, share advice and see new developments in artificial limbs. Seminars have a life-changing effect on child amputees and us as parents, as our kiddos meet other kids “just like me,” learn to accept their amputations and develop a positive outlook on their futures,” explained Nickels.
Nickels and her husband Shelby are parents to 14 kids with nine still living at home in Barriere. “It’s a busy, loving family household – never a dull moment.”
For the Nickel and Akoh family, the very best part was meeting each other. Their two girls, Chloe and Sandra are both nine and are only three days apart in birthdays having right arm amputations.
“Neither family was aware of each other until they met at the CHAMPS Seminar in Vancouver. Now the girls are ‘CHAMPS besties’ and we all will return home to Barriere and Kamloops knowing they will meet again and have shared a life changing experience together. They’ve had so much fun meeting someone their own age just like them. They are both congenital amputees,” said Nickel.
The origins of The War Amps trace back to 1918, when the Amputation Club of British Columbia first established. It was the first of many groups of war amputees across Canada to organize and, eventually, unite into a national organization.
As the First World War ended, Canadian amputee veterans returned home supporting each other while adapting to their new reality as amputees. United as amputees The War Amps including those from the Second World War and Korean War, were instrumental in pushing for advancements in prosthetic technology, confronting the stigma of disability, advocating for fair pensions for veterans and providing support to each other in a variety of ways.
The Child Amputee (CHAMP) Program offers comprehensive services to child amputees and their families, including financial assistance, regional seminars, and peer support. CHAMP serves children in Canada (under 18) who are born without a limb or have lost a limb due to an accident or medical causes. CHAMP assists with the costs of standard or everyday artificial limbs and ongoing adjustments and repairs by paying the portion not covered by provincial or private medical plans, or group insurance.
Nickels explains, “During the seminar and other events there is a wide range of sessions offered, such as information on artificial limbs, special recreational limbs, and devices. There are even demonstrations on the use of these limbs and devices for activities like hockey, swimming or playing the violin. Some sessions are about sharing practical advice and personal insight into challenges they face, such as staring, teasing and questions about their amputation and of course other skills as they age like learning to drive and applying for jobs.”
Nickels said there were sessions that were very “helpful” for parents with the “unique challenges” of raising a child amputee.
“The weekend event included sessions where kids could share the particular issues around being childhood amputees and learn how to deal with them from older amputees just like them. Parents were able to meet and discuss resources and learn from each other. It was a wonderful weekend,” she said.
To learn how you can support The War Amps CHAMPS program, visit their website at: https://waramps.ca/home/
