By Derek Schlennstedt
The hills community has come together to fund a set of new prosthetic blades for Mountain District Christian School student, Emmanuel Megee.
At two years old, Em’s right foot was amputated due to congenital deformity and the following year his left foot was also amputated.
Despite his disability Em has never let it stop him from playing sports and taking part in school athletics, even if that means using his regular prosthetics to take part.
Though, with the help of his friends, the school community, and Wandin Rotary Club, Em has been given the opportunity to get new carbon fibre blades that would see him not only keep up with his friends on the playground but become a formidable force during school athletics.
His mother, Kathie (Cathie) Megee was overwhelmed by the response from the community and said the new prosthetics would change his life.
“What it will mean for him is the ability to keep up on the playground with his mates,” Ms Megee said.
“His previous ones were base level; he could walk around fine but in terms of running and jumping his progress had plateaued.”
“He’s a really sporty kid so it will mean he can do all the activities his friends and peers are doing … he did cricket in the summer season and did really well, but it’s challenging for him to keep up, those activities will become so much easier.”
“It will just transform his life and what he is able to do, when you watch a little boy running around and struggling to keep up … it’s so very meaningful to us.”
The fundraiser was organised by the students at the school, who co-ordinated the colour run to be integrated into their annual cross country event.
Seeing their fellow student struggling to take part in school athletics events they wanted to find a way to make it easier for him to take part.
Ed Eadon, the School Chaplain at Mountain District Christian School, said that the school raised $2100 from the event, and the remainder of the cost for the blades were made up by Wandin Rotary Club.
“One of the kids in his class knew Em was wanting to get new blades and wanted to help support him in that … from that grew the idea of the colour run, coinciding with the cross country run,” Mr Eadon said.
“Got great support from local community … donations from Bendigo Community Bank and we got some sausages from Emerald Rainbow Meat’s and Wandin Rotary funded the rest.”
“It was really a total community event.”
Described as always giving “120 percent” when undertaking any activity, his mother said his current prosthesis did hamper his ability to take part in athletics – something which will now be a problem of the past.
The blades, which are attached to the back of a fibre glass boot, will allow Em to run faster, jump higher and for the first time give him the capacity to change direction with ease.
“There aren’t words … it’s extraordinary, we’re just so thankful,” said Ms Megee
Em who was ecstatic to learn about the fundraiser, and his new boots (legs) thanked everyone for their contribution and said he will be hot on the heels of his friend at next year’s cross country.
“I just want to say thank you so much to everyone at school and Rotary for raising this money for me,” Em said.
“I really appreciate it and can’t wait to get my new blades and this time next year I will be running down the track with my classmates … thank you so much.”
