Words Jamila Douhaibi
Photo Sarah Hartley Photography
If you’ve ever been unsure of what joie de vivre means, or how it might be demonstrated by a person, you only need to meet Andrea Swallow to understand.
As she says, her life hasn’t taken the most conventional route, but her joy in living and giving is beautiful.
People often have defining moments in their lives when something big changes for them. For Andrea, it was losing her lower left leg in a motorcycle accident at age 16. She spent the next four months in hospital, and a lot of Grade 11 and 12 “in recovery and surviving.” She didn’t have any extended family close by, but she says an “amazing core group” made up of her nuclear family, friends and community supported her through her time at Vic General, many operations and appointments with doctors and prosthetic specialists.
Andrea was a shy kid and says she “didn’t want to be known just” for having such an “unusual disability” for someone so young. While she was in the hospital, one of the nurses told Andrea about the Child Amputee (CHAMP) Program through the War Amps of Canada. They offer seminars, peer support and financial assistance, and for Andrea they provided a place, she says, where she felt like “I actually belong.” Attending one of the seminars in Vancouver there were 40 child amputees, “so many kids spontaneously and joyfully just being kids.” Andrea says she was able to let go of the weight she was carrying on her own because “kids that looked like me living lives without being defined by” what they didn’t have, or what people decided was missing.
At 18, Andrea aged out of the CHAMP Program and navigated limb loss alone, aching for community especially because adult support groups met infrequently and inconsistently. She often questioned “if I didn’t have access to support, I knew other amputees in Canada must be experiencing the same.” The U.S. did have conferences, and in 2018 Andrea attended a three-day conference in Tucson where there were 1,200 amputees. She says she felt at 46 like she was 16 again.
Back home on the Peninsula where she grew up, Andrea came across a Canadian amputee foundation that was struggling. Andrea stepped in to revamp what is now known as The Amputee Coalition of Canada (ACC). Through her role as a National Peer Visitor Coordinator, Andrea has taught classes in four provinces, and supported certification of 178 amputees coast to coast to become Peer Visitors to new amputees. With a lived understanding, Andrea says it’s an honour and “privilege to do this work in such a unique little niche.” Through the program she sees people coming in reserved and feeling alone, but leaving more informed, confident and connected, further strengthening individuals, families and existing resources for amputees.
At 48, Andrea went through another big change after she received a cancer diagnosis and says she had a “continuation of surviving and pushing forward for the life I live and love.” With a lot of acceptance and holding on to small pieces of hope, she has been able to continually see the joy in the little things, and the importance of having compassion and grace for yourself and others.
Andrea recently took on the role of Community Connector at the SHOAL Community Centre. Supported by the United Way, the program helps seniors find resources to thrive in the community. Having worked many years with children and in schools, Andrea says that she feels this position has brought her full circle and is complementary to her work with The ACC. Meeting people where they’re at, she’s constantly motivated and inspired by the seniors she works with every day. All of her roles have really been about “serving others in ways which hopefully leave them more empowered.”
With no database in Canada for amputees, Andrea continues to work on getting amputee numbers in the country properly recorded. As such a strong community role model, Andrea says it was important for her to know that she wasn’t weak or broken because she was different. In fact, being “different” has made her have more joy, compassion and a stronger sense of justice.
amputeecoalitioncanada.org
