Vanessa, age 15, of Midland has been treated for multiple prosthetic needs at Scottish Rite Hospital since she was only 6 weeks old. Vanessa’s looking forward to learning to ski, but she’s also looking forward to going on a vacation in the beautiful Rocky Mountains. Learning to ski will allow Vanessa to add another sport to her list of favorite activities. She enjoys playing volleyball, managing the basketball at her high school and crafting intricate pieces of origami. When Vanessa grows up, she aspires to become a junior high teacher. She hasn’t decided which subject to teach – she’s keeping her options open!
About the Annual Amputee Ski Trip
February 2018 will mark the 37th anniversary of the annual Amputee Ski Trip, held each year at the National Sports Center for the Disabled in Winter Park, Colorado. Fourteen teenage patients with limb differences receive practical recreational therapy, while also having the opportunity to grow, build confidence and bond with others similar to them.
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DALLAS — It’s round two for 16-year-old Cody and some of the 13 other teens headed to Winter Park, Colorado!
Every year, American Airlines, Saint Bernard, and other sponsors team up to send Scottish Rite patients on a once-in-a-lifetimetrip. And forCody, who is considered a ski-trip vet, is taking his new computerized legs along for the journey.
“The first time I went I got to try skiing for the first time that was my first time ever skiing or getting to do a winter sport,” Cody said. “I think I’ll have more independence on walking in the snow and able to navigate the slick surfaces.”
NewsFix caught up with the rest of the crew for their send-off filled with balloons, treats, and goodbye hugs.
Diana Lopezwas born without a right leg, but she doesn’t let that keep her from having fun. Even when she fell down last year while on her first ski trip to Colorado, the 16-year-old still found a way to enjoy herself.
And the Garland teen is expecting that same excitement this year as she and 13 other young amputees travel back to Winter Park, Colo., for anotherski trip.
“You might fall, but you’re going to laugh and get back up,” Lopez said. “And you’re going to have all of your friends right there with you.”
Lopez and the other teenagers left DFW International Airport on Monday for Colorado as part of the 37th annual ski trip organized by Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children in Dallas. They will receive one-on-one instruction during the weeklong trip, which is financed by American Airlines, Saint Bernard and other donors.
Henry Ellis, a Texas Scottish Rite orthopedic surgeon, said the trip not only helps the teens face and overcome challenges, but it also connects them with others dealing with similar struggles.
“You find that the kids start feeding off each other and learn how to deal with different parts of their normal daily activities that they never thought they could, and it’s because they had never been around another kid who is an amputee,” said Ellis, who tagged along on the venture. “So they really grow inside, emotionally and mentally, and come up with ways to deal with struggles that they have by talking and learning about it.”
Capt. Jim Dees, Director of Flight with American Airlines, center, talks with Diana Lopez, 16, left, and Alfonso Apodaca, 15, teenage amputee patients from Scottish Rite Hospital, during a ceremony at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport in DFW Airport, Monday, Feb. 12, 2018.
(Jae S. Lee/DMN Staff Photographer)
Ellis said many of the teens become friends and continue to keep in touch long after their initial meeting.
‘It’s just really inspiring’
Alfonso Apodaca said he met Lopez on last year’s ski trip and the two have since kept in touch through Snapchat. As he waited at DFW on Monday to board the group’s American Airlines flight, the 15-year-old Bedford youngster said he was excited to make new friends.
That’s vastly different from how he felt this time a year ago. As he prepared for that excursion, the L. D. Bell High School sophomore said he was concerned about going on a trip with strangers. But he said it didn’t take him long to get comfortable around the other youngsters.
“It’s definitely a welcomed space,” Apodaca said. “It’s amazing hearing others stories and how they feel the same way as you, and it’s really great because where I’m from, we don’t have other kids with prosthetics at school. To see other kids feel that way, it’s just really inspiring.”
Cody McCasland, of Keller, Texas, 16, walks into the gate to board an American Airlines jet at DFW Airport, Monday, Feb. 12, 2018.
(Jae S. Lee/DMN Staff Photographer)
Olivia Coats, a high school freshman from Austin, will be skiing for the first time this year. Born without the lower part of her right leg, she uses a prosthetic leg to get around.
“She’s been excited about this trip since she was 3 years old,” said her mother, Carissa Smith, who brought her daughter to the airport. “She’s read all about the trip since then.”
Although she was looking forward to the trip, Coats admitted that she was nervous to go down the snowy slopes.
“I just don’t want to fall and break my face,” the 14-year-old said, laughing.
Cody McCaslandof Keller, who is making his second trip to Colorado after initially going in 2016, said he hoped to encourage first-timers like Coats to embrace skiing, even if they may have trouble learning at first.
“You can’t give up after your first fall,” said McCasland, 16. “You have to get up and keep going again. It doesn’t matter how you fall. It matters how you get back up.”
An American Airlines jet carrying 14 teenage amputee patients from Scottish Rite Hospital on a ski trip receives the “shower of affection” on ramp upon departure to Colorado at DFW Airport, Monday, Feb. 12, 2018.
(Jae S. Lee/DMN Staff Photographer)
A way to bond
Dr. Tony Herring, another Scottish Rite orthopedic surgeon, said Monday that he never imagined the trips he started in 1981 as a way for teen amputees to have a good time, would help lead to building long-lasting friendships.
“It just sort of happened that kids started talking and telling each other stories,” Herring said.
He said many of those who go on the trips often don’t have anyone else around them who they can share similar experiences with. The ski trips help them bond with others who are dealing with the same situations.
“The kids will start telling stories about things that have happened to them, like how they were playing basketball and their leg came off or what they are challenged with,” he said. “That’s almost more important than the skiing itself.”
It’s well known that each sport has its own rules and regulations. These are meant to protect participants from known risks and injuries. For example, in snow skiing and snowboarding, helmets are certainly the most important piece of equipment to reduce the severity of head injury with falls. This is especially true for faster, more experienced skiers. Wrist guards are also a top priority to prevent broken bones during falls while snowboarding.
Large joints, like the shoulder, knee and ankle, are at risk for injuries during falls and with extreme motions that occur with near-falls in snow sports. General fitness, cross-training and pre-season preparation, all in partnership with sport-specific safety training, will lead to improved body control and potentially, fewer falls. Watch this video of Henry Ellis, M.D., talking about his experience as a team physician for the U.S. Ski Team and their off-season training habits.
Researchers continue to look at non-contact knee injuries in sports like soccer and basketball. As with snow skiing and snowboarding, these sports put the knee at risk for injury when the leg is planted and twisted with the knee in a slightly flexed position. Training programs can prepare athletes to better control their knees in these risky positions. Strengthening leg and trunk muscles also improves stability and control. Improved control leads to lower risk of injury.
Injury prevention is not just about following the rules and wearing the proper equipment. Here are our suggestions to help your young athlete safely enjoy many sports:
Endurance training prevents early fatigue, which is known to cause falls and injuries in any sport. Ride a bicycle or run to improve your cardiovascular and muscle endurance.
Leg strengthening exercises create balance around the hip and knee joints. Use resistance exercises to strengthen on all major muscle groups of the legs.
Upper body strengthening exercises create stability for the shoulder, a very mobile joint. Perform weight-bearing activities to strengthen the upper back and stabilize the shoulder blade.
Core strengthening provides stability that helps with balance as well as proper form. Perform traditional abdominal strengthening exercises as well as activities that incorporate the entire body.
Plyometric activities improve neuromuscular control in dynamic positions. Perform jumping and landing exercises with a focus on control and proper form.
For information about injury prevention and pediatric sports medicine, please visit our website at Scottish Rite.
Cydney, age 16 of Valley View, has been treated for prosthetic needs at Scottish Rite Hospital since she was a baby. Her doctor, J.A. “Tony” Herring, M.D., chief of staff emeritus, has inspired Cydney to pursue a medical degree in pediatric care once she graduates from college. In Cydney’s spare time, she enjoys reading My Sister’s Keeper, working and playing in her high school’s band. Her favorite musical instrument to play is the marimba. This will be Cydney’s first time on the ski trip and she’s excitedly anticipating the opportunity to ski for the first time!
About the Annual Amputee Ski Trip
February 2018 will mark the 37th anniversary of the annual Amputee Ski Trip, held each year at the National Sports Center for the Disabled in Winter Park, Colorado. Fourteen teenage patients with limb differences receive practical recreational therapy, while also having the opportunity to grow, build confidence and bond with others similar to them.
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