Prosthetics give youngsters new lease on life
Less than a year after the StepUp500 Challenge, six children at Open Air School were able to receive new advanced prosthetics with part of the proceeds of the Challenge.
SIX children from Open Air School received a new lease on life this month when Jumping Kids arrived at their school to fit them with new advanced prosthetics.
The Open Air Project was born of a collaboration between Jumping Kids, a registered non-profit initiative that provides children with leg amputations with the tools to lead full active lives, para-athlete Tyrone Pillay and his StepUp500 Challenge, and the Afrisun KwaZulu-Natal Community Development Trust.
The six pupils, between the ages of 12 and 17, who all live with leg amputations, were fitted with advanced prosthetic solutions geared to increase their mobility – an exercise that, in effect, turns disability into ability.
Jayson Ngubane said he heard about the project last year and waited patiently for new prosthetics. “I can run and kick a ball with my new legs, its much better than than my old ones which were very heavy,” he added.
Thabani Mazibuko was more nervous than his son Ranetsi wa,s to get fitted. “Ranetsi is so excited and always very confident and positive about his life. In March 2009 he was in an awful accident, some high school boys robbed him and pushed him into the train tracks, he lost both his legs but never lost hope so I am very happy that he is getting new prosthetics that will help him move easier,” Mazibuko said.
Vanessa Rademeyer, physiotherapist at Open Air, could not contain her excitement for the lucky kids. “We didn’t know what to expect because we have never seen how the prosthetics are made. The prosthetics are so advanced, fit so nicely and work so much better. The kids have different types of leg amputations. Some are bilateral, single, below and above the knee so it is really exciting for them all. They were clapping and quite emotional,” she added.
“This latest project is a year in the making and it is wonderful to at last apply the approximately R300 000 raised to fit the Open Air candidates with their new legs,” said Michael Stevens, Jumping Kids Operations Manager and Vodacom Change the World volunteer.
The idea to expand Jumping Kids to include children living in KwaZulu-Natal was born in 2013 with the StepUp500 Challenge. The event saw athlete Tyrone Pillay, who has acrophobia, face his fear and climb the 500 steps of Moses Mabhida stadium to raise R550 000. R275 000 went to Jumping Kids and the balance to the CANSA Mkhuhla Care Home.
Tyrone, who was at the school said, “Its been under a year since the climb and I think we have achieved a lot if you look at the kids faces today. Today is exactly 12 years since my dad passed and he is the reason I decided to do these initiatives. It is not just about being a good athlete, but making a difference in the community. I’m so happy to give back and today is part of his legacy. We are not just helping these kids run but opening them up to a whole world of possibilities,” he added.
Part of the initiative, includes having the children who were fitted with prosthetics assessed at regular intervals to ensure their sponsored prosthetic solutions keep up as they develop and grow.
“The beauty of the technology applied to help these children lies in the fact that, by using the latest techniques and components, fitment can take place within hours.
It is also a process with great knowledge transfer capabilities and we look forward to collaborating with local physiotherapists and technicians to ensure best results,” concluded Stevens.
For more information about Jumping Kids, contact michael@jumpingkids.org.za
