By Derek Schlennstedt
The hills community came together in June to give 10-year-old Gembrook boy, Em Megee, a new lease on life.
At two years of age, Emmanuel Megee’s right foot was amputated due to congenital deformity and the following year doctors also took his left foot.
After years of having to make do with a prosthesis that offered little movement, his friends, the school community, and Wandin Rotary Club decided to fund new carbon fibre blades that would see him keep up with his friends on the playground.
Students co-ordinated a colour run to be integrated into their annual cross country event.
Having to see their fellow student struggle to take part in school athletics events, they wanted to find a way to make it easier for Em to take part.
The Mail spoke with mum Cathie Megee in June, who was overwhelmed at the time by the response from the community and said the new prosthetisis would change her son’s life.
“What it will mean for him is the ability to keep up on the playground with his mates,“ she 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 blades, which are attached to the back of a fibre glass boot, allow Em to run faster, jump higher and – for the first time – change direction with ease.
The Mail caught up with Cath recently, who said that since they were fitted Em had not stopped tearing and bouncing around.
“He’s doing really really well, they are just great. He can’t stop bouncing on them because they have a whole lot of spring to them – he’s like a little Tigger!“ she said.
