Riding the Rapids

Teens from New Mexico, Colorado and Kentucky participated in the Un-Limb-ited River Rafting Amputee Camp hosted by Shriners Hospitals for Children — Salt Lake City in late June.

The kids navigated rough currents and class four rapids during the five-day, 44-mile journey on the Green River in eastern Utah. Organizers set three goals for the campers, who all have lost limbs. “We wanted the kids to stay safe, have a good time and leave with a sense of accomplishment,” said Matt Lowell, a physical therapist and the camp’s co-director.

Like most campers on the trip, 17-year-old Sydney Tall came for the fast-moving water, “I love the rapids. It was exciting. That’s really what we came to do.” She says it’s the camaraderie that would keep her coming back, “I’ve never known any other amputee my age, so it was awesome to be with kids who know exactly what it’s like.” Sydney lost her left leg to bone cancer when she was 6. She said she always noticed other children at the hospital with amputations, but she never had a chance to talk with them.

A peer support group was a core component of the camp. Therapists from the child life, recreation and physical therapy from the Salt Lake City Shriners Hospital provided activities designed to help the young adults reach their full potential. At night, the teens had a chance to discuss the emotional issues stemming from their orthopaedic conditions. “We want to provide a place where they can feel comfortable and relate to each other,” said Lowell.

Camper Julian Pratt said he learned a lot from the nightly discussions, “We’d make a circle and we’d talk about how we can get through life and how we can get through our disabilities.” Julian says he realizes he’ll never be able to stop strangers from noticing him, but he now knows new ways to help make people start talking with him instead of about him. Julian plans to return to the Un-Limb-ited camp in a few years as a counselor. Sydney said she plans on earning certification in river rafting and working as a guide.

The teens ended their trip happy, dirty, smelly and tired – but with smiles and a sense of accomplishment. For more information on Un-Limb-ited summer or winter camps, contact Matt Lowell, camp co-director at (801) 536-3615 or visit www.unlimbitedcamp.org