Amputees enjoy activities in ‘great’ event
STANDING up is a challenge Thames amputee Ben Walker has mastered, but standing up on a paddle board is something else again.
Giving it a go was the theme of a range of activities put on for young people attending the annual conference of the Amputees Federation of New Zealand, held in Dunedin at the weekend, and Mr Walker showed no firsttime nerves as he jumped on board the unfamiliar piece of equipment.
‘‘Events like this are great — going out and tackling things like this gives you the confidence to go out and do things yourself.’’
Attending his fifth conference, Mr Walker (26) had one lower leg amputated because of complications after being born with two club feet.
‘‘The best thing about these conferences is meeting all the other people with limbs off, talking to them, and you figure out what is going wrong in your situation and what is going right.’’
Matthew Bryson, one of the organisers of the day’s activities, said 16 conference attendees had enjoyed paintball, the Escape Room and kayaking.
‘‘It’s really cool to see people come together from around the country and try something new,’’ he said.
‘‘We are all trying new things together.’’
The national conference doubled as the 75th anniversary of the OtagoSouthland branch.
The federation’s national coordinator Lorraine Peacock has also racked up 50 years as the OtagoSouthland branch secretary.
‘‘War amputees used to receive all sorts of benefits which civilian amputees, which was what we were called then, didn’t,’ Mrs Peacock said.
‘‘I have been involved as long as I have been an amputee, which happened when I was 19.’’
Coincidentally, her father was also an amputee and was secretary of the war amputees association.
At that time the number of war amputees was far larger, but that ratio has completely turned around.
The attitude to amputees has also shifted, with the likes of Paralympians Sophie Pascoe and Holly Robinson, a speaker at the conference, being nationally recognisable.
Like many in the community, the Amputees Federation was closely watching the planning for the new Dunedin hospital.
The artificial limb service operates independently but at the moment is based in Dunedin Hospital,
However, the service at this stage is planned to be among a range of outofscope services offered at the new facility.
‘‘There is no word about their future,’’ Mrs Peacock said.
‘‘So long as it stays within the hospital precinct that’s important, because it works well at the moment having close access to the hospital.’’