Matteo
My name is Matteo Pellizzari. I have been a patient of Barber Prosthetics for all my life. I was born with Bilateral Fibular Hemimelia, which is the absence of the fibula bone in the lower legs. Due to this, my feet were amputated when I was one year old and I was fitted with prosthetics and started walking when I was 1.5 years old.
Without my prosthetics, I would be bound to a wheelchair, and unable to perform the vast activities that I do in my day-to-day life. Barber Prosthetics has enabled me to do this, because of the materials, expertise, and support they provide. Barber has always managed to fit me in and make me the top priority, because they know how essential my prosthetics are to my daily activities. They have enabled me to enjoy a lifestyle in which I can do practically anything I want.
Though my day-to-day prosthetic legs enable me to do many things, sometimes I need different legs to engage in other sports and activities. I have different types of legs with different capabilities, such as running legs, which have more bounce and energy return, and swim legs, which are waterproofed. I also have stubbies which I use as slippers around the house as well as in Sledge Hockey. I have participated in many sports and activities, including swimming, volleyball, golf, track and field, downhill and cross country skiing, in which I used adaptations to keep my legs from falling off, martial arts, rock climbing where I used fasteners to keep my legs on, skateboarding, and my absolute favourite, Sledge Hockey.
I love Sledge Hockey for several reasons. I love the strategy, the quick pace, and being part of a team. Sledge Hockey is the Paralympic version of ice hockey. In Sledge Hockey, you sit in a sled and propel yourself with miniature hockey sticks that have spikes at the bottom. It has the same rules, other than the fact it may be a bit rougher! Through Sledge Hockey, I have met many amazing people, and gone to some very cool places.
Aside from sports, I have had many other exciting experiences in my life. This includes acting in movies and plays, public speaking on behalf of the War Amps, guest speaking at university courses at UBC, Langara and BCIT, being on TV news, and I was even a co-MC at a fundraising Gala for the Orthopaedic Department of BC Children’s Hospital. I have also gone on many amazing vacations.
Without Barber Prosthetics, none of these amazing things in my life would have happened or even been possible. It means so much to me, that they have allowed me to live a ‘normal’ and incredible life! Recently, I had the honour of paying tribute to a double-amputee WWII veteran John Little, as part of Operation Legacy. Read more of that story at Vancouver Is Awesome. I also helped to celebrate the War Amps 75th anniversary of their key tag service (read more here).
