GOLF'S NO PROBLEM FOR AMPUTEES

Support group encourages members to meet challenges.

Imagine that it is a nice, sunny day outside. You have nothing to do, so you decide to play a round of golf.

Now imagine the same activity if you were missing an arm or leg. Sounds almost inconceivable, unless you've met the amputees from the Midwest Amputee Association.

The Midwest Amputee Association, located in Indianapolis, is a nonprofit organization for the support and camaraderie of amputees all over the country. Founded in 1975, and now approaching its 20th year, the organization has changed the lives of many amputees.

The organization was started by an amputee. Joseph Maled, nicknamed Chris, lost his legs in World War II during a surprise attack from the Germans, which led to his accidental shooting by his own platoon.

His soldiers shot him in the shoulder and he laid in the snow for days. As a result, his legs froze and had to be sawed off.

He survived the injury, came back to his wife and child, and eventually had seven more children. He started going to an amputee golf tournament when he was in his early 50s and decided to start his own.

Golf tournament

Maled's daughter and 1994-95 president of MAA, Cathy Nichols, explained: "He got the idea of starting an amputee golf tournament for amputees only as a way of showing people, showing the public particularly, that even though you may have a physical disability, it doesn't mean that you can't lead a challenging life.

"This was instilled in (our family) that our father, who was a double amputee, (was) never thought of as physically disabled. It's a testament to how he was as a person.

"I got involved in the organization when I was 22 and have been involved ever since."

Every year, during the last weekend in June, amputees of all ages come to the Brickyard Crossing at the Speedway to take part in a weekend of fun, unity and golf. The group plays a competitive round of golf and later shares in banquets and an awards ceremony.

The game is open to any amputee, Nichols explained. "No amputee has to play golf - they can just come."

And come they do. Last year, more than 100 people attended the events. One of those was Dave DeHebreard, past president of the organization and an amputee.

A morale boost

DeHebreard, who lost a leg in a motorcycle accident in 1968, said the outing boosts the morale of a number of amputees, especially those who've recently lost a limb.

"Somebody who's just had an arm or a leg amputated, their first reaction is to go sit in a corner and feel sorry for themselves," he said. "If they see something in the paper or a little clip on TV, maybe they'll come out and take a look at what all these guys are doing" at this event.

Aside from the golf tournament, the MAA also provides financial assistance in the form of educational scholarships. The "Dutch" Yeagley Educational Scholarship is awarded to an amputee student to apply toward college or vocational school. It is usually worth $1,000 and is named after a former MAA board member who became an amputee.

The "Chris" Maled Memorial Humanity Scholarship is awarded to an outstanding eighth-grade student - he or she doesn't have to be an amputee - entering Cardinal Ritter High School. The student must have a character reference from his or her principal and participate in humanitarian works. It is $500 a year and can be renewed.

In addition, the MAA has developed a network of amputees that assist recent amputees in coping with their losses. Joshua Richards and Dodie Lamagnl explained to us how they have counseled other amputees about living without limbs. (See other story on this page.)

These services don't come without a cost. The MAA puts on fund-raisers and seeks corporate sponsors to finance the tournament and scholarships, which cost about $30,000 each year. "We have enough for maybe two more years of the tournament with the amputee scholarships," Nichols said. "We don't want it to end. We really don't."

EDITED BY: Katie Bell, 14