In 1999, I was diagnosed with knee cancer and doing chemotherapy treatment at 14 years old. During this time, I got approached by the Debbie Chisholm Memorial Foundation (DCMF). DCMF grants wishes to catastrophically ill children in the Inland Empire (Southern California).
I chose to have a shopping spree, and I eventually got a $2,000 shopping spree at Best Buy. A limo picked myself and a few family members up at my house. When I got to Best Buy, I bought a desktop computer with a desk, a TV, a Sega Dreamcast with a few games and two music CD’s.
After the shopping spree, I wanted pizza and had Pizza Hut for lunch.
Darryl and Garland "Corky" Bell
In 2017, I found this picture when I Googled my name and myself with Mr. Bell (Executive Director, Debbie Chisholm Memorial Foundation) came up in the search results. This photo displays me with Mr. Bell before going into Best Buy, and a letter I wrote thanking him and DCMF for everything I received from the shopping spree.
“Making Wishes Come True Throughout Southern California.” – Debbie Chisholm Memorial Foundation.
To check out the Debbie Chisholm Memorial Foundation website, click here: http://www.dcmfwishes.org/home.html
Shortly after my shopping spree, I met Actor Jason James Richter, who is probably most known for his lead role in the movie “Free Willy.” He visited the children cancer patient’s one day, and I happened to be one of the few to meet him while in the hospital.
When I was first diagnosed with knee cancer, I only got to attend the first week during my freshmen year of high school. I returned to high school during my sophomore year, and some of my classmates who remembered me from middle school heard about my shopping spree.
I decided my next Toastmasters speech is going to be about my experience with DCMF and my Best Buy shopping spree. My speech will be in a couple weeks, and I’m going to record it and but it online.
On May 9th, I had an appointment to start the process of getting a new prosthetic leg at Hanger Prosthetics and Orthotics. After filling out some paperwork, my evaluation started which consisted of questions from my new prosthetic Doctor. The questions were: what kind of amputee I was, what was the cause of me becoming an amputee and how long have I been an amputee, etc.
I told my new Doctor I’m a hip amputee, and lost my leg to cancer called Osteosarcoma and I’ve been a hip amputee since I was 17 years old.
He also asked me the normal evaluation questions like can I stand for long periods of time with my prosthetic leg, can I side step, can I walk fast, can I run, can I climb stairs, walk down ramps, walk on gravel, carry heavy objects, etc.
I told him I’ve had my current prosthetic leg since I was 23 years old, and it has been almost 10 years. The different annoyances I have with my current prosthetic consists of constantly being uncomfortable, but I’ve learned to deal with it overtime. I get sore and receive scars on my mid-section, because of the hard plastic from the inside of my prosthetic and I must buy two of the same pair of shoes because my prosthetic foot is two sizes bigger than my regular foot.
He said with the new technology, these annoyances would be cut in half. For example, my Doctor said a lot of advancements in technology has happened for hip amputee prosthetics. My new prosthetic leg will be more comfortable and lighter, which will make it easier for me to walk. My new prosthetic also won’t be as hot because my current prosthetic holds a lot of moisture.
After getting to know my history of being a hip amputee, my Doctor said with the insurance I have, I could get one of the top prosthetics that is available right now. He also said he was going to do what he can to get me the best prosthetic possible that my insurance can afford.
Depending on my insurance, it could take up to a month or longer before a new prosthetic leg can be approved. From my experience in the past, getting a new prosthetic leg can be a long process. Once my insurance has approved the prosthetic leg, Hanger could start the process of fitting and putting it together for me.
For instance, once the prosthetic is in Hanger’s possession, my mid-section must be casted and molded and I must walk in it to see how comfortable it is before going out into the world.
I also asked if my Doctor has any patients that are hip amputee’s like myself, and are around my age. I explained I’ve been to different organizations that focuses on cancer survivors (American Cancer Society, Stupid Cancer) but I still haven’t met anybody who is a hip amputee.
He said he knew a person who is a hip amputee, but she is older than me. I’ve been a hip amputee for 14 years, and my Doctor said he would put me in touch with some of the people he knows that have been through similar adversities as me.
I’m excited to finally get a new prosthetic leg, and I feel my new prosthetic and orthotics Doctor wants the best prosthetic leg for me, which will make simple things like walking a lot easier.
* This week I came across a YouTuber by the name of Zivalene, and she is a big fan of the original inFAMOUS videogame franchise starring superhero Cole MacGrath. On March 12, 2017, she made an announcement video stating she is writing her own inFAMOUS 3 entitled, “InFAMOUS: Legacy of the Beast” with her own original characters.
* In the description box, she stated we might not get an inFAMOUS 3, but as a diehard fan, she wanted to create her own original story for diehard fans like herself. It is refreshing to see that there are diehard fans that are keeping Cole’s legacy alive in different and creative ways in 2017.
* To check out Zivalene’s announcement of her “inFAMOUS: Legacy of the Beast” video, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuGrZ8Dm9UA&t=14s
* Check out Zivalene’s first chapter of “inFAMOUS: Legacy of the Beast,” click here: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12397216/1/inFAMOUS-Legacy-of-the-Beast
Disclaimer…
I don’t own any content from the Debbie Chisholm Memorial Foundation. No Copyright Intended. All image is copyright to their respective owners. All content is property of Debbie Chisholm Memorial Foundation.
Darryl Richie and Garland "Corky" Bell Picture courtesy of Debbie Chisholm Memorial Foundation.
Darryl Richie and Garland “Corky” Bell Picture. Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 May 2017. http://www.dcmfwishes.org/whatothers/darryl_richie.htm
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