GRAND PRAIRIE, AB – A former Canadian soldier who lost his left arm in combat in Afghanistan has been told he will no longer be eligible for disability benefits due to the fact that he is suffering from phantom limb.
Jeff Tonkin, a corporal at the time of his accident, says his benefits were taken away after the government concluded that phantom limb is “pretty much the same as a real limb”.
“I usually get a tingling feeling when the weather changes,” Tonkin said, joking that he knew spring was coming because he could feel it in his arm. It was then that Dr. Rodney Burks informed Tonkin he would no longer receive benefits.
“Really, he backed us into a corner,” explained Dr. Burks, “There are only so many ways for us to determine if a limb is present. If a patient says he has the sensation of a present limb, the government has no choice but to act as though the limb is present. ”
Tonkin suggested Dr. Burks look at him and count how many limbs he saw, but Burks refused: “Personally, I think we’re far too invasive enough into the lives of our veterans,” he explained. “These men and women have served our country, and they deserve their privacy.”
Burks added that a long-form Number of Limbs Test was available should Tonkin wish to submit an application.
