Receiving a peer visit from another amputee or joining a support group can be highly beneficial to amputees. Some amputees, however, are not ready or able to get out or deal with others face-to-face. This means they may be losing an opportunity for emotional support and acquiring the knowledge that these longtime amputees could pass on to them.
Amputee volunteers who want to help these individuals may need to reach them in a different way.
Alise Williams, who isn’t an amputee, may have recently stumbled onto a solution. Williams decided to send handwritten letters to others who needed encouragement. To receive a letter, they only needed to request a letter of encouragement from her though a website she started.
“Anyone can send in their name and address, and I’ll send them a letter,” says Williams. “They can go into detail if they want, and I can give them encouragement in whatever area of their life they need. I’ve gotten extreme cases in the past of some people saying they’re struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, or illness, and then I’ve gotten letters as simple as ‘my cat is missing.’ I respond to all of them and let them know they can get through their obstacle or problem.”
By simply adding a Send Me a Letter request button on their websites, amputee volunteers and support groups could reach out to those amputees who aren’t able or ready to get out and seek in-person support.
This article is partly based on an original story by Senior Airman Cody Miller. Image by Shutterstock.com/Supawat-bursuk.
