The pair arrived from Vanuatu in April and have had their legs in full-length plaster casts, followed by weekly stretching of muscles and skin by paediatric physiotherapists.
The stretching is not a fun time for the children and often they are in tears. Anis’s face (pictured above with physiotherapists Mel and Dan) shows how hard he is trying to stand without the support of the plaster.
Amazing progress has been made in the last 12 weeks to both children’s feet.
Melanie, aged 3, has had soft tissue tendon surgery and is not allowed to walk for three weeks.
Anis, aged 13, is due for a more complex operation involving both bone and soft tendon tissue surgery.
Following surgery and after three weeks without weight-bearing, the children will need to learn to walk and strengthen their legs. This will take at least six weeks.
When not going to hospital, Anis attends Gold Creek School and was thrilled to be presented with a Certificate of Achievement at the end of the last school term.
During the school holidays the family were offered a week at the Ronald McDonald House Retreat at Rosedale, near Batemans Bay.
They made the most of the activities and sunny weather and enjoyed visiting the Mogo Zoo and feeding the deer and camels. Although unsure at first, the children’s mother Liza even joined in.
Through the Ronald McDonald Retreat they were also provided with a special Clyde River Cruise and were treated like VIPs. The children even sat in the captain’s seat.
The family will be in Canberra until the end of September.
Eight-year-old Vanessa has arrived in Sydney with her father Saturnino for assessment and treatment of a right eye proptosis with a possible optic nerve glioma.
Sometimes a single photograph tells a story all of its own.
The mother of a four-month-old Solomons Islands baby sends thanks to the Brisbane doctors and nurses who cared for him.
Any donation you can make will help make treatment like this possible.
