BARRIE -- Five-year-old Deji Disu loves crafts, basketball, riding his bike, and doesn't let anything hold him back from what he enjoys.
There is only one difference that sets him apart. Deji was born with a congenital amputee, below his left elbow.
"We don't know exactly why," says his father, Odun Disu. "It's just one of those things where a certain percent of the population are born that way."
Deji has worn a prosthetic arm since he was eight months old, but his parents say he outgrew them every few months, but now that his growth has slowed, he will receive a new prosthetic each year.
The Barrie boy recently received a life-changing gift for Christmas, thanks to some special Santa helpers.
"The device he got recently, he was able to make some Christmas crafts holding one hand with the needle," his father says. Disu explains that Deji received three prosthetic arms, each with its own ability, including a myoelectric arm that will open and close when Deji flexes his muscles. "It's enabled him to do some of those activities that he might otherwise not be able to do."
Through provincial coverage and The War Amps program, the three arms, which cost roughly $25,000, won't put the family out of pocket.
"That's a huge financial burden on a lot of families with child amputees across the country that might not be able to afford something like that," says James Jordan, a public awareness officer with The War Amps.
Through the Champs Program, children and their families attend yearly regional seminars with other amputees.
Jordan, who was born without the bottom portion of his arm, says the workshops allow the kids to ask tough questions and overcome any obstacles.
"It really just gives these kids a chance to live a full and active life, keep up with their friends, just be able to have a leg to stand on, and an arm to grab with and encourage them to reach for their goals and nothing really stops them," Jordan explains.
With dreams of one day becoming a policeman, five-year-old Deji's new prosthetic arms allow him the independence and confidence to do more, which is great news for a little boy who seems unstoppable.
