War Amps representatives spoke to students of École Our Lady of the Rosary School last Wednesday afternoon on behalf of War Amps’ Child Amputee Program (CHAMP).
A video was also played for students, and Principal Jodi Smith felt it taught students a valuable lesson.
“The video was on perseverance, making a difference and trying your hardest,” she said. “(It showed) that everyone can do anything, no matter what.”
Echoing that sentiment were 14-year-old Cassidy and six-year-old Marcus, both amputees and members of the CHAMP Program.
Marcus also attends school at École Our Lady of the Rosary.
Smith felt the presentation was an appropriate way of educating other children, and satisfying their curiosity.
“A lot of times, they just need to know the story,” she said. “It’s not out of meanness, it’s just out of what’s going on, and so we were trying to eliminate that piece.”
Dolores and Cyrille Paquin are both avid supporters of the CHAMP program, and hope that its profile within the community can be raised significantly.
“It’s the program underneath the War Amps that supplies children with any prosthetics they may need throughout their whole life,” said Dolores. “It is a wonderful organization.”
The organization is important as it also funds other activities for child amputees, including swimming and driving lessons, she said. Post-secondary education funding is available through scholarships.
CHAMP seminars allow children to discuss with each other the ways in which they handle situations such as bullying and staring.
“Everybody has different responses, but the kids all try to teach the other kids ways to deal with it when people are staring or asking questions,” said Dolores.
Cyrille feels the work carried out by War Amps often goes undetected in the community. He hopes participation in the organization’s key tag program, through which the majority of its funds are raised, can increase to ensure support is available to children in need.
“War Amps hasn’t turned away one person yet,” he said. “And that’s how they fund all of that it’s just from that.”