Stuart Chase was a college student working part-time at a sawmill when his accident happened, almost 21 years ago. He remembers the day so vividly even though two decades have passed. “I was pushing the wooden board when the automatic hydraulic on the machine suddenly engaged and trapped my left hand,” Stuart recalls.

He was airlifted to the hospital and the surgeon spent 22 hours trying to reattach his index and middle finger, but after two weeks the digits died and he eventually went through detachment surgery.

Not too long after he was released from the hospital, Stuart conducted his own research into prosthetic solutions available to finger amputees. He was disappointed to learn that his options were incredibly limited compared to options for full hand/arm amputations. The futuristic engineering and advanced designs he thought were a possibility for him just didn’t exist for partial hand and finger amputees. Yet.

Learning and Adapting

For two years, until he graduated college, Stuart combined physical, occupational, and hand therapy. He attended a hand clinic that assisted him in regaining flexibility in his hand and fingers, and helped to minimise the sensitivity on his residual digits through a variety of exercises.

One of the biggest lessons Stuart learnt is that patience is key. Like many amputees, Stuart had to adapt and reassess his future. At the time, he was playing volleyball for his school and studying to become a journalist. Due to his injury, he wasn’t able to continue as a student-athlete and had to drop classes.

As he was nearing the end of his college journey, a friend suggested that he pursue a career in marketing and communications instead of the fast-paced, stressful environment of a newsroom. What started as an 18-month contract in the communications department at a workers' compensation organisation turned into a 20-year career.

Stuart now works as the Director of Marketing for the Make-a-Wish British Columbia and Yukon Canada Chapter.