Lead mallet / arm conflict situation...

Meddler

New member
I have just seen a thread on the Saggi board dealing with one-armed shooting, and it brought back memories?

Our son Phil was born with a short left arm (basically it was like an above elbow amputation). He has always shown a particularly independent streak. His first phrase ever was ?I do it?.?. He has never felt he was ?disabled?.

Over the years he has had several prostheses from the purely cosmetic when he was 6 months to the myoelectric prosthesis when he was around 8 or so. Unfortunately, they were all heavy things, and he didn?t wear his prosthesis beyond the age of 12.

I can remember one time when he was sitting on a swing in the play area next to our house, and he pressed the little button which detached the hand from the prosthesis, so that the hand dropped to the ground. Right in front of two little old ladies!:faint:

When Phil was about 9 or 10, I persuaded him to try archery (he was already playing golf). So one sunny Sunday afternoon we went down to the Club (Howard Bowmen in WGC) and set up a beginner?s bow. The handle fitted into the hand on the prosthesis. Unfortunately the bow plus the prosthesis was too heavy for Phil to hold up, and he found it difficult to aim.

Plan B involved a metal stake (the kind used for roping out fields), which had a little hook, where his prosthesis would fit in. Phil got himself set up, and the hand went into the hook, and he drew the string back and let go. All the arrows went high, so we had to drop the bow hand a little.

Without thinking, I picked up the lead mallet (about 6lbs worth) we used for banging in the target pegs, and started hitting the stake, to make it go further into the ground. Phil?s prosthetic arm was still held in the hook?

One of the club members who was 20 yards away, thought I was about to break Phil?s arm, and shouted ?Leave that kid alone?. One of the other club members grabbed him just in time, to stop him from running across and decking me, and then explained that it was all right, Phil had a prosthetic arm, and even if I had belted his arm with the mallet by mistake, he wouldn?t feel a thing.

For some reason, Phil didn?t want to do archery again after that weekend?..
 

darthTer

Active member
Supporter
Ironman
American Shoot
I remeber hearing a similar type story from an abulance man....

They had been called to a scene on an accident - an old man had been lying at the side of the road (he'd had a few too many). A Bud had come along at run over his legs & trapped them. The poor old sod was lying there singing away. All the rescue workers thought the guy must be delirious, turned out he at two false legs a didn't feel a thing....
 
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