Six year old Cameron Crowder, had a prosthetic leg for years, but then she had a medical appointment that she would never forget. Cameron had become accustomed to the intermittent appointments squeezed in amongst her school days. But on Friday, March 7th, she received the thrill of her short life. Limbs of Love surprised the unsuspecting 6 year old girl with front row tickets to the Hannah Montana concert at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.
The Amputee and Prosthetic Center, based in Houston, Texas donated the tickets to Cameron through Limbs of Love, a charitable organization that provides artificial limbs to patients who lack the resources for a prosthetic device.
Joe Sansone, founder of the Limbs of Love program explained, "We knew they were the hottest tickets in town, and we wanted someone very special to have them, so we decided to surprise one very special little girl."
It wasn't the first time TAPC had positively impacted Cameron's life. Previously, Cameron's mother Rhonda Crowder had reached out to the Amputee and Prosthetic Center for assistance. She was concerned about her daughter's acceptance in a new school environment and feared that her new classmates may ridicule her for being "different".
The Amputee and Prosthetic Center provided the concerned mother with helpful advice and materials, including a manual called “Children with Limb Loss- A Handbook for Teachers”. Rhonda, in turn, forwarded the handbook to Cameron's teachers who used the information to help answer her classmates' questions and ease the transition for everyone.
"The results were overwhelming," the elated mother recounts, "Cameron's teacher was able to use the book’s instructions to create a positive, supportive classroom environment for my daughter, where she wasn't teased or singled out as being different. This transition could not have gone more smoothly. Rather than being the subject of ridicule my daughter said she now felt like a celebrity!
“I cannot understand why all prosthetic companies do not make these resources available,” said Ms. Crowder.
Limbs of Love also donated a "Sew-Able doll" to Cameron. This amputee doll has removable legs and arms that mimic the type and level of amputation of the pediatric patient and can be used to demonstrate the application of prosthetic liners and limbs.
The reaction on Cameron's face when she saw the gift was both moving was priceless. All of her life she had played with dolls that looked just like everyone else - but not like her. Her eyes lit up when she saw the precious doll that was an amputee just like her. She dropped to her knees and began removing the prosthesis and tried to put it back on. It was touching to see the CEO's daughter Rose, who had played with amputee dolls at her father's office for years, teach a life-long amputee how to put on the dolls prosthetic liner and limb. Click here for photo gallery.
