Sharing a lasting legacy

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Published on Saturday, November 5, 2016

Submitted article

By Martine Lépine

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.

Kamryn is a member and Shannon a graduate of The War Amps Child Amputee (CHAMP) Program. It was war amputee veterans who created The War Amps in 1918, its Key Tag Service in 1946 and later, CHAMP. Since 1975 thousands of child amputees across Canada have received financial assistance for their artificial limbs through CHAMP and attended regional seminars where they learn about growing up as an amputee.

When Kamryn was 11 months old, both of her legs, right hand and several fingers on her left hand were amputated due to a respiratory illness. Shannon’s left leg was amputated when she was 13 years old, due to bone cancer. They met three years ago at their local Remembrance Day ceremony in Grande Prairie, Alta. That year, Kamryn watched Shannon lay a wreath on behalf of The War Amps Operation Legacy, but ever since, it has been a tradition they share.

While growing up as a CHAMP, Shannon met many war amputee veterans and heard their first-hand accounts of the devastation of war. 

“They passed this legacy to us younger amputees and now it’s our turn to share their stories, so that we never forget their sacrifices,” she says.

Although Kamryn is still quite young, her mom Dale says it is important for her daughter to lay a wreath on Remembrance Day. 

“It builds the foundation for her to understand how much our war veterans gave up for our freedom. We will always be appreciative of the work of the war amputee veterans and the message they have left for young amputees like Kamryn to carry into the future. It is for this reason that she lays a wreath every year in their honour, and will do so for many years to come.”