When an artery collapsed in seven places, Chris Rice suffered an infection in two toes as well as the ball of his foot.
Almost 12 months ago, that meant his leg had to be amputated below the right knee.
Making things worse, he was away from his family because it was during the Covid-19 lockdown and the kids couldn’t visit. He didn’t get to see his children for more than a month.
There are many with stories like Mr Rice, which is where the Amputees and Families Support Group comes in.
The group has branches throughout Queensland, from Cairns to Kingaroy to the Gold Coast. Its headquarters are in Logan Central, from where they provide a range of services to amputees, people with a limb difference, and their families.
It started in 1986 be a group of amputees who felt alone and isolated when they first lost their limb(s), and who were trying to integrate their change into their personal, professional and recreational lives.
Mr Rice has become a peer support volunteer for the organisation.
When he first contacted the organisation for peer support, he received a visit from Darren Wyer.
Mr Rice said the visit really helped him and let him know that life was not as bad as he thought. He said he was able to set goals, the main goal being to walk again.
He said peer support helped a lot and it made a big difference to him both mentally and physically, speaking to somebody who had been through the same situation as him helped turn everything around.
“The physiotherapists at Bunya were amazing and helped so much, they pushed me and got me going every day,” he said.
“They also gave me a knee scooter to use which I felt helped me transition to my interim prosthesis. Within two days of receiving my prosthesis I was carrying my walking stick and within five days I was home.
“I knew I wanted to walk again, it was my goal and after being able to walk back on my leg after 3-4 months it was overwhelming. It felt like a great accomplishment after everything that I had been through.
“My family and the support that they gave me was everything, I could not have gotten through without them.
“Today I am registered with the NDIS and about to receive my definitive prosthetic, I am walking, active and back at work.”
