ALEXANDRIA, St Ann —After being teased, jeered and called several unpleasant nicknames, amputee Wayne Campbell, 14, was elated when he received a specially made prosthesis last Sunday, September 15.

The prosthesis which values approximately US$25,000, was donated to the teen by KAST, an organisation which specialises in the making of prosthesis in the United States. KAST, through Dr Carey Frounfelter, who is also an amputee, has been donating a number of prostheses to amputees in St Ann through the annual Mind Body and Soul Health Ministry mission to Jamaica.

Campbell received the prosthesis after the one he was using broke a few weeks ago at the beginning of the school year, forcing him to stay home.

“I use to feel bad and sad,” said Campbell, who often faced ridicule due to his inability to be as mobile as other children.

Campbell said that he was particularly pleased about his new prosthesis because, like other children, he too will be able to participate in sports.

But Campbell was not the only one who was excited. Janet Lawrence who has been a foster parent to the boy since he was five years old, was overjoyed for her son.

One would not know that Campbell is not Lawrence’s biological child if she does not say so. The foster mother, who has established a close relationship with the amputee whom she took from a children’s home nearly 10 years ago, was overly excited for her son.

Lawrence faced many challenges as the prosthesis that Campbell had previously worn had been broken several times. While living in the western end of the island, she often travelled to Kingston to get the deteriorating prosthesis fixed as she could not afford a new one.

When she heard about the Mind Body and Soul Health Ministry and Dr Frounfelter being in Alexandria, St Ann, offering medical assistance and prosthesis to amputees, the mother travelled from her now Kingston home to her hometown in Alexandria to seek help for the child she has grown to love as her own.

“I saw it on the television and I spoke to Mr Morgan and he told me that he would think about it,” Lawrence said.

She joined a number of others who were to wait until Dr Kerry returned to the island later this year or sometime next year. However, when she got the call on the fourth day of the new school year that her son’s prosthesis had broken, she did not know what to do.

“That broke several times. They try putting two together to make one and then it just broke off from the fifth of September,” she explained.

“I went to Mona; they could not do anything about it. They don’t have anything to fix it. I took him home because there was nothing I could do about it,” she added.

“He has been at home since the fifth of September,” Lawrence said.

Recognising that there was nothing she could do, Lawrence, who is also the ‘mother’ of two other adopted boys, did not give up hope but made contact with the Mind Body and Soul Health Ministry.

Just days after her contact, the prosthesis was made, specially designed for her son to have a close to normal childhood.

Lawrence, who should have been in Alexandria by 9:00 am last Sunday to collect the prosthesis for her son, said that she left Kingston around 5:00 am, and got to Alexandria after 7:00, nearly two hours before the time as she was anxious to get the prosthesis for her son.

“There is no adjective to describe how I am feeling because it is stressful for me every time it breaks. I am really, really grateful,” she said.

Lawrence explained that during her struggle to take care of Campbell, she was often encouraged to give him back to State care, but she would not have it that way and worked endlessly to make him as happy as possible.

“If you know what it is to be abandoned, then you would not want to be abandoned,” she said, admitting that she rejected the urgings from people who suggested that she return him to State care.

“I see them as my own children. There are a lot of mothers who give birth to children, but they don’t care about them,” Lawrence said.

She said that Campbell experiences several challenges, but she intends to see him accomplish his dreams of becoming an actor.

“You cannot say you understand unless you are in the situation. I have taken it up. It is a lifelong commitment. I want to see him to the very end. He says he wants to be an actor. By God’s help if he still wants to, then I want to see him through,” she said.

Admitting that many would not take up the challenge that she has, Lawrence explained that for years she has enjoyed serving children and so walking into a children’s home and taking an amputee, was a joy for her.

Lawrence said that all her life she has been giving to the community, working with Food for the Poor, as well as serving the people as an ordained minister.

She has also spent a lot of time working with children.

Now that her son will be back at school and with a much stronger prosthesis which will allow him to participate in activities that he could not do before, Lawrence expressed her gratitude to all those who looked out for Campbell over the years.

“I just want to thank Mind Body and Soul for caring and responding so quickly. I really appreciate it,” Lawrence stated.

She went on to add that the staff at Campbell’s school also did an excellent job in ensuring that her son was well taken care of at the institution.

“The teacher, Mr McKoy, the guidance counsellor, Ms Sewell, and the principal, Mr Taylor they always look out for him,” she said.

One of the directors of the Mind Body and Soul Health Ministry, Horace Morgan, who after leaving Jamaica mere weeks ago, scheduled a trip to the island so that he could take the prosthesis for Campbell.

“It was important to us that he go to school. We wanted him to get back to school,” Morgan said. As a result, he planned his trip so that he could get to Jamaica as soon as possible.

Morgan said that the prosthesis was made ready by Dr Frounfelter within three days of being informed of Campbell’s plight. This included flying in a special part from Germany for the specially designed prosthetic leg, which will allow the youngster to participate in a wide range of activities including sports.

“It’s really a great feeling,” Morgan said. “It was always a pleasure for the charity group to assist.”

An ecstatic Campbell thanked all those who supported him over the years.

“I feel so happy. Thanks to all the people who supported me over the years and thanks also to my mother,” he said.