Calgary’s Kennedy Rhodes was just 13 years old when she lost her leg after being run over by a train and now, she’s appearing in a War Amps video in the hopes of preventing similar injuries.
In May of 2016, Rhodes decided to go with a friend to the train tracks in the southeast Calgary community of Inglewood. It was her first time attempting to hop on a moving train.
“I was running alongside the train and it was going a little too fast. When I grabbed on to the bars on the side of the train it started to drag me and and my leg went under the wheels and two train cars ran over me,” Rhodes said. “I knew it was bad. I knew I was going to get my leg amputated.”
Kennedy spent two weeks in the hospital where they tried to save her leg. In the end, she made the decision to amputate the badly damaged leg below her knee.
She credits the support of War Amps for her ability to pursue sporting activities she never tried before the accident. The charity has provided $45,000 worth of specialized prosthetics over the past two years.
“I wanted to push myself and not in the direction that was dangerous and trying to do thrilling things, but just push myself more as a person. Athletics has never been my strong suit and if I can still be able to do different kind of sports that I love even better than I did before, then that’s just amazing,” Rhodes said.
Kennedy is now featured in a new video for War Amps Canada. She hopes her story will provide confidence to other people who have had physical set backs.
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“You can still do what you love and be who you want to be. It shouldn’t set you back from achieving your goals and your dreams,” Rhodes said.
One of Rhodes’ dreams was to be able to wear heels to her grade nine graduation. Thanks to War Amps supplying a special prosthetic, she was able to do just that this year.
“Even just knowing that I was wearing them, it was awesome actually. When I got my adjustable ankle and I got my heels, I almost cried,” Rhodes said.
Kennedy’s mom, Morgan Gladu, couldn’t be more proud of her daughter’s positive outlook.
“She’s had a warrior attitude from the moment the accident happened. I’m just proud of her and I’m amazed by her. The only thing you have in life is what you decide to do with the things that end up happening to you and for her to make this decision to do something positive with it and remain positive and keep a positive self image, that’s the greatest thing any parent could ever ask for their kids,” Morgan Gladu said.
Gladu warns of the actions peer pressure can make teens take.
“My biggest reaction to it all is the peer pressure dynamic that goes on. I think a lot of kids suspend their own abilities to make their own choices as to what is safe and not safe because their friends are doing something,” Gladu said.
Despite the loss of her leg, Rhodes considers herself lucky for this second chance.
“Even if I only let one or two kids know about the dangers of train safety and playing safe in general, then that would be amazing to me, because that could be the possibility to save one or two lives,” Kennedy said.
According to the Transportation Safety Board of Canada, in 2017 53 people were killed and 23 people were seriously injured trespassing on railways in Canada.
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