Child amputees: Don’t let it happen to you

Kennedy and Ernie warn kids to spot the danger before they play

Press release – Kennedy Rhodes, 15, and Ernie Friesen, 10, lost limbs in accidents and are members of The War Amps Child Amputee (CHAMP) Program. As the weather warms up, they are warning kids to spot the danger before they play in a new War Amps video, PLAYSAFE: Don’t Let It Happen to You.

Kennedy was 13 when she lost her left leg in a train accident. She and her friends were playing by the railway tracks and decided to hop on a moving train. Kennedy fell off and her leg went under the wheels. Ernie was chasing a dog on the farm when he fell onto the blades of a moving grain auger and lost his left arm at the shoulder. They are now using their experiences to pass on an essential and possibly life-saving lesson to other children – PLAYSAFE!

War Amps key tag service helps amputees

Most of us don’t realize how valuable our car keys are until we lose them. With remote starters and built-in unlock systems, keys are not as simple or cheap as they used to be, with many owners paying hundreds of dollars in replacement fees.

But for more than 70 years, The War Amps Key Tag Service has been helping Canadians avoid these costs. Each key tag has a confidential number so if you lose your keys, the finder can call the toll-free number on the back of the tag or place them in any mailbox, and The War Amps will return them to you by courier at no cost.

Amputees find inspiration from Vimy battle survivors

Rob Larman and Tiffany Ross lay a rose at the grave of Curley Christian to mark the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge and pay tribute to the war amputee veterans who started The War Amps.

War Amps Canada - The Battle of Vimy Ridge may have been 100 years ago, but it continues to have modern-day lessons for amputees like Rob Larman and Tiffany Ross of Toronto.  Larman, who lost his leg at the age of 14 when friends dared him to jump a train, now directs The War Amps PLAYSAFE Program, while Tiffany Ross, 10, was born a left arm amputee and is now a member of the The War Amps Child Amputee (CHAMP) Program. To mark the Vimy anniversary, they laid a rose at the grave of Ethelbert “Curley” Christian at Toronto’s Prospect Cemetery, in honour of the remarkable sacrifice Christian made at Vimy that continues to inspire young amputees today.

War Amps - sharing a lasting legacy

Kamryn and Shannon laying a wreath

War Amps Canada - People often can’t help but smile when they see six-year-old Kamryn Bond lay a wreath with her friend, Shannon Krasowski, 40, at their local Remembrance Day ceremony. Although an unlikely pair, they are both amputees and are part of a legacy that goes back nearly 100 years.