Now that lawn mowing season is back, the War Amps are reminding the public of dangers that go along with mowers.
The organization says children from across Canada are enrolled in The War Amps Child Amputee (CHAMP) Program every summer due to lawn mower accidents. They say a man named Adam Kingsmill lost his right leg below the knee when he ran into the path of a riding lawn mower in his backyard when he was two. He was enrolled in the CHAMP program and is now 20 and uses his experience to pass on an essential and possibly life-saving lesson to other children to playsafe.
“With lawn cutting season here, I want everyone to know that kids should not ride, operate or play near lawn mowers. I accept who I am today, but I wouldn’t want anyone else to go through what I did. Accidents can happen in a split second.”
War Amps Regional Representative Denise Swedlo says lawn mowers are tools, not toys. Swedlo also lost her right arm and part of her left hand when she was two in a lawn mower accident.
“The War Amps believes no one is better qualified to deliver the safety message than amputees who know what it is like to lose a limb in an accident. We hope that stories, like mine and Adam’s, will prevent even just one child from being injured.”
The Lawn Mowers Are Mean Machines video from the War Amps can be found here. The video focuses on the dangers of lawn mowers and is a valuable resource for families and educators, according to the War Amps.