Sault teen Ciara Pelletier a 'champ' for War Amps

Ciara Pelletier, from Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., does not let being an amputee interfere with her life or hamper her dreams.

The 16-year-old was born with proximal femoral focal deficiency (PFFD), a serious birth defect in which the upper part of the femur bone - in the thigh - is either malformed or missing, causing one leg to be shorter than the other and hindering a child’s ability to walk.

Ciara was also born with a cleft palate, which was repaired in 2010.

Her right leg was amputated in August 2023 and replaced with a prosthetic limb.

“She was born with deformities basically from the hips down," said Ciara’s mother Christina Pelletier in an interview with SooToday.

"She had an abnormal hip on the right side, an abnormally short leg on the right side with a knee that didn't really bend. Her legs were turned outwards so that when she learned to walk, she walked sideways.”

However, despite having a prosthetic leg, walking with crutches and using a wheelchair for longer distances, Ciara stays active and is determined to live her life to the fullest.

“Now that Ciara has had her leg surgery, things are a little bit easier but we still do face a lot of challenges. For example, right now we’re working on getting her driver’s licence, which is an exciting time when you’re 16. However, when you have a prosthetic leg we have to make changes to our vehicle and we’re looking at what different things we have to do to make that possible,” Christina said.

Mother and daughter are committed to making driving a vehicle a reality for Ciara.

“Ciara won’t have it any other way,” Christina said.

“I’m very excited about getting my driver’s licence. Nothing’s going to stop me,” Ciara said.

Ciara undergoes physiotherapy weekly at the Sault’s THRIVE Child Development Centre and makes regular trips to Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children for upkeep on her prosthetic leg.

“We try to get out as much as possible. We like to go for walks in the neighbourhood, the boardwalk and Hiawatha. The really cool thing is that there's nothing she hasn’t tried because of her disability. She’s played sledge hockey, done karate, gone skiing, played volleyball and softball. She’s not afraid to try anything,” Christina said.

Ciara also enjoys swimming at the Sault YMCA.

“She’s like a mermaid when she gets in the water. Once she gets a swimming prosthetic, a water leg, she’ll be able to walk into the water like everyone else,” Christina said.

Ciara, a Grade 11 Korah Collegiate student, said she enjoys studying environmental science and wants to be a 911 operator after high school.

She will need constant care for her prosthetic leg in order to keep moving through life.

Ciara receives financial help for her care from the Ontario government’s Assistive Devices Program (ADP) and The War Amps.

The War Amps is a Canadian non-profit organization established in 1918 to help veteran amputees. Serving war veterans with financial and advisory support at first,  War Amps expanded its services to assist all amputees in Canada, including children. 

The War Amps have been a great help to Ciara and that organization has a special place in the hearts of Ciara and Christina. 

“They’ve been huge for us. They’re supportive financially in the sense that they provide financial assistance for her prosthetic, but they also provide a lot of funding for swimming lessons, driving school and funding to make our vehicle adaptable,” Christina said.

Ciara is proud of her involvement with Operation Legacy, which encourages members and graduates of the War Amps Child Amputee (CHAMP) Program, such as herself, to participate in commemorative events like Remembrance Day.

“The War Amps are really strong advocates for these children, which we call CHAMPS, to have all the support they need and receive what they should," Christina said.

"So we want to continue to support them by going to the Remembrance Day ceremonies and doing whatever we can to support them to keep their message alive. They started War Amps.

"If it wasn't for the veterans we wouldn’t have our freedom but also we wouldn’t have prosthetic limbs for children who have had accidents or who have been born different," she said.

Ciara and Christina plan to attend the Sault’s Remembrance Day ceremony on Monday, Nov. 11.

“We will be there for sure at GFL Memorial Gardens,” Christina said.

Ciara and Christina are urging the public to donate to the War Amps program.

Donations can be made by visiting the War Amps website.

“What’s left is what counts. That’s the main message. We want to encourage Ciara and all other CHAMPS to accept their amputations and develop a positive approach to challenges -- to say ‘yes, I can do it,’” Christina said.