BRIGHTON – Amputee children were given new running prosthetics for free at Brighton's New Balance Track on Saturday.
Dave McGillivray Finish Strong Foundation has partnered with Shriners Children's Pediatric Orthotics and Prosthetics Services to implement the “Running Is A Right” program, which helps people of all ages reach their running potential.
15 new prosthetics for kids
Maria Schneck was one of the many people fitted with the new Running Blade to experience it and more with one of the recreational prosthetics.
“I'm really looking forward to this day. I've told everyone I meet, 'This weekend I'm going to train my legs to run!'” This means a lot to me. I can't run with normal prosthetic legs, so I'm able to run a little bit more now. So that gave me a little bit of freedom,” Schneck said.
'Running Is A Right' distributed 15 prosthetic blades to children and young people so they could experience the joy of running, boost their confidence and just have fun.
“We believe that recreational prosthetics should be provided, but currently they are not covered by medical insurance, so we are filling that gap. training,” said founder Brooke Raasch.
“It's a big deal for me.”
Many children, including 12-year-old Luke DeWitt, are grateful for the program's existence.
“It means a lot to me because I can find kids who relate to me. I've met a lot of people,” DeWitt said.
Dave McGillivray said his foundation would buy the blades to give children a better chance of living the best life possible.
“The main thing is to make them feel good about themselves above all else,” he says.
McGillivray's foundation is working with Shriners to identify other children in need of prosthetic blades.