by CLAIRE M. REGAN ’80 for the Staten Island Advance
The last call Laura Calamuci received from her son was on Monday night, while she was in the hospital recuperating from hip surgery.
“Mom, I have a big surprise coming for you,” he told her excitedly. “I can’t keep it in — I have to let you know.”
That surprise was a power-massage recliner to facilitate her recovery at their Travis home. It wasn’t unusual for Christian Calamuci to display such selfless love for his mother, who adopted him from a South African orphanage as a 6-year-old boy with severe disabilities.
Sadly, Christian suffered a seizure and died at home shortly after making that call. His untimely death, at 23, has left a wide circle of people grieving and disbelieving — not only because of his age, but because of his spirit, resilience and inspiration as a double amputee.
“I just talked to him on Monday afternoon,” said longtime friend Jason Salkin of Bulls Head. “On Sunday, he bought concert tickets for us to see Ed Sheeran. All of a sudden, my best friend is gone.”
At the Children’s Aid Society Goodhue Center in New Brighton, where Christian was a group leader in the afterschool program, Director Ilene Pappert gently broke the news of his death to the kindergarteners and first-graders who had grown close to him.
“There was a lot of crying today” among colleagues, Pappert said.
And at Wagner College, where Christian had completed a bachelor’s degree in sociology in December, students and faculty remembered a kind and conscientious student who was proud of his independence and ready to pursue a career in social work.
“He was a special soul who knew how to make everyone smile,” said Sean Weir, a Wagner classmate.
ABANDONED AT BIRTH
Born a twin on Aug. 5, 1999 in Soweto, South Africa, Christian was abandoned by his teenage birth mother after she saw the extent of his disabilities.
At birth, “he was folded in half, with his feet placed on his ears,” Laura Calamuci later recalled in an interview with ABC News. “They left him like that for six months and just thought he was going to die” without any neonatal care available in the area.
He weighed only 18 ounces, with “all kinds of issues,” but pulled through.
His knees didn’t bend and his legs were severely bowed. He learned to walk on the sides of his feet and move forward by swaying from side to side. On adoption days at the orphanage, he was passed over because of his disabilities.
But when Laura, a retired teacher looking to adopt, saw his photo on an international adoption website, she knew he was the son she wanted.
“There was this beautiful face. I didn’t even read his bio. I called [the agency] the next day and in six months, it was done,” she said.
Laura took Christian to some of the best orthopedic doctors who at first tried braces and several surgeries to correct his congenital abnormalities. He was diagnosed with a host of lower limb problems, including arthrogryposis, a joint condition restricting range of motion, and Blount’s disease, which restricts the growth of plates around the knee.
CHOOSES AMPUTATION
Bilateral amputation soon became an option, and Christian’s treatment of choice.
“After my second surgery at about age 7, I asked my doctor why he couldn’t just amputate my legs and give me fake ones,” he explained in an interview. “I was just talking. I had no idea it was something they could do. I was tired of the pain and tired of being in a wheelchair.”
On July 13, 2016, a month before his 17th birthday, Christian underwent bilateral above-knee amputation at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan.
“I was just really positive about this,” he said in a video interview with the Advance/SILive after the surgery. “I think anything at this point was better than living with my legs. I’m looking forward to all the opportunities to live life and really persevere in everything I do.”
Following months of rehabilitation and gait training, he received his bionic, self-correcting Rheo Knee prosthetics and learned how to handle stairs and ride a recumbent bicycle. Support from ECHO, the Emergency Children’s Help Organization, made the costly devices possible.
He kept up with his studies at Port Richmond High School, where made the honor roll and participated in the Army JROTC program. On June 26, 2018, he received his diploma, and a standing ovation, as he walked with his class during the graduation ceremony.
“I feel confident, on top of the world,” he shared with an Advance reporter that day. “As a kid, I was told I wasn’t going to be anything and I got to really prove myself today and show everybody what I’m made of.”
ON TO COLLEGE
At Wagner, Christian made friends quickly. He lived in a residence hall, navigated the campus by wheelchair and was a regular Frappuccino customer at the Starbucks counter in the Hawks Nest.
“Chris and I met on day one, and we immediately hit it off,” said Kristen Saczynski, a fellow sociology major. “We both enjoyed beauty, Taylor Swift and Starbucks, so it was very natural for us to become friends.
“I never met another person like Chris,” Saczynski added. “He didn’t have the easiest life, and had a lot to be angry about. [But] I never saw Chris angry, upset or even annoyed. He had such a calm demeanor, a gentle and loving personality. He taught me so much about life.”
Dr. Bernadette Ludwig, chair of the Sociology Department at Wagner and Christian’s faculty adviser, admired his resilience.
“He always smiled, even with all he endured,” she said. “He had a bright future as a social worker and wanted to work with foster children. He taught me about being aware of the things you take for granted.”
“Christian had an infectious personality,” said Dr. Carolyn Taverner, a Wagner psychology professor. “We had numerous conversations after class and his passion for his future dreams was palpable. What impressed me most was the sense of purpose he found in every aspect of life.”
“Christian saw his future career in social work not as a job, but as a vocation,” added the Rev. Holly Bonner, director of spirituality and civic engagement at Wagner. “For him, it was a calling. He couldn’t fathom doing anything else but helping people, and I believe God had a hand in that. He wanted to work to change the foster care system. He was an advocate and a warrior.”
SOCIAL MEDIA MEMORIES
Christian experienced much of his life with the wide-eyed wonder of a 6-year-old.
He was active on social media and hosted his own YouTube channel to document special milestones, including a post-surgery trip to Manhattan to see the Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular and the Rockefeller Christmas tree, followed by dinner at Carmine’s Italian restaurant.
He made a 10-minute vlog about the memorable holiday adventure, which was funded by a generous supporter, featuring his mother and his good friend, Jason Salkin, with music by favorite artists Halsey and The Fray.
Last spring, Christian posed for a series of senior portraits on the Wagner College campus and posted them to Facebook with a comment that summed up a short life well lived:
“I am on a mission with a plan to do nothing but succeed, then go out into the world and help as many people as possible.”
SURVIVORS AND ARRANGEMENTS
In addition to his mother, Laura, Christian is survived by his adoptive brother and Laura’s biological son, Daniel Calamuci (Jen); a niece, Madeline Calamuci, and his grandmother, Leah Osterberg.
Arrangements included private cremation. A celebration of life will be held on Sunday, March 26, at 3 p.m. at Gateway Church, 200 Boscombe Ave, Staten Island.
https://www.silive.com/news/2023/03/staten-islander-christian-calamuci-23-dies-after-living-inspirational-life-as-a-double-amputee-advocate-and-warrior.html
