Jim Thorpe Amputee Support Group Highlights Guidance And Community On The Porch

The Jim Thorpe Amputee Support Group joined News 9 on the Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages Porch to highlight the importance of community support for those facing life-altering medical challenges.

Therapist Cody Jones and peer mentor Denise Dickerson joined the program to discuss the group, which has been meeting regularly for over a year after a pandemic-induced hiatus. "The main reason we wanted to get on here is we wanted to spread the word and really grow our group and get more participation for our community members," Jones explained.

Dickerson, who has been an amputee for nearly 13 years, emphasized the group's role in providing a comfortable space for members to share their experiences, from those newly amputated to long-term prosthetic users. "We just do all kinds of discussions. We talk about the prosthetic process. We talk about lately, we've been talking about mental health care because it is such a life change," Dickerson said. "And we also have planted plants. We did some painting. We had a stretch lab come and show us how to do stretches and things like that, just everything you know that to do with amputations, but also just to bring us together as a group and just do fun things, just to make everybody comfortable."

In addition to the amputee support group, the organization also hosts gatherings for individuals with spinal cord injuries, brain injuries, traumatic strokes, and caregivers.

"You do not have to go through what you're going through alone," the program host emphasized, underscoring the importance of the available resources.

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