Scotch Oakburn student Emma Barnett has been testing out a new state-of-the-art physiotherapy treadmill at the St.Giles Launceston centre, following a generous donation by the Riverside Lions Club.
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Emma, who was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at six months old, underwent surgery in February last year to align her femurs and assist with her walking. Following the surgery, the usually active 11-year-old was faced with re-learning to walk, a task aided by the team at St.Giles.
Six months after her surgery, Emma was off crutches and following a year of therapy is now back to her active self, most recently biking, running and swimming her way through a triathlon.
According to Emma, the new adjustable treadmill has many more features to aid in her therapy and continuing recovery.
"It has adjustable rails so I can reach better. On this one you can go forwards and backward, and you can go up and down a hill. I was trying to go downhill backwards and it was pretty hard but it was fun - there's a lot more you can do," she said.
Riverside Lion Club president Mike Lichtendonk was eager to champion the business houses that helped support the donation through the club's ticket buying initiative.
"We're just helping those in the community that need assistance - that's what we're all about," he said.
The club's donation was then matched by the broader Tasmanian Lions Clubs, which helps support programs that need more funding than a single club can offer - allowing St.Giles the funding they needed to secure the $20,000 piece of equipment.
The treadmill is understood to be the only one of its kind in the state, and is now accessible to Tasmanian children, who would otherwise need to travel to the mainland to access this type of equipment.
For an organisation like St.Giles, which was originally established to help support children following the polio epidemic more than 85 years ago, the treadmill marks the next step in an almost-century long journey in helping children overcome mobility issues.
That sentiment was also echoed by St.Giles senior physiotherapist Tracy Redman, who has been working with children at the centre for more than 20 years.
"We've come so far since I started and we've been very lucky to have generous groups like the Lions Club donate pieces of equipment like this," she said.
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