By JODIE SYMONDS
AN EAST Timor teen received dignity-restoring surgery, and got the chance to meet his favourite furry friends at Healesville Sanctuary last week.
Heldericky (Ricky) Da Cruz Tolentino from East Timor was given the gift of a lifetime to have surgery on his right leg, and the opportunity to meet and feed some kangaroos at Healesville Sanctuary.
The 18-year-old hand fed the friendly kangaroos at Healesville Sanctuary on Thursday 5 November, just three weeks after having surgery on his right leg for a vascular malformation and atrophy in his right leg.
On 21 September, Ricky was brought to Melbourne from Lospalos, East Timor, by the Rotary Oceania Medical Aid for Children (ROMAC) to receive his surgery aimed at allowing him to walk freely without pain.
Rotary Club of Healesville member Graeme Chester organised for Ricky to come to Melbourne for his much-needed surgery.
“Ricky has been walking with a limp ever since he was three, so to see him up and walking is remarkable,” he said.
At Healesville Sanctuary, Ricky was given the opportunity to have a magic moment with the kangaroos to get up-close and personal.
Mr Chester said Ricky could barely walk 20 minutes without having to stop because of severe pain, so to see him crouching down to pat and feed kangaroos was a great moment for them.
Ricky said he had always wanted to meet a kangaroo.
“I just like the way they are so calm and the way they stand up,” Ricky said.
“They’re just so calm.”
Children are brought to Australia by ROMAC to have surgery that they cannot receive in their country, due to a lack of facilities.
Since Ricky was three, he could not put any weight on his leg, leading to severe muscle restriction and pain.
He underwent a six and a half hour surgery at St Vincent’s Hospital to separate and remove bundled blood vessels from his lower limb, and to remove the atrophied muscle.
Ricky has since been undergoing physiotherapy at St Vincent’s Hospital and is expected to be heading home late this week to live his life with the restored ability to walk.
He has plans to complete his studies at university to become an electro-engineer.
“With my disability, I always felt I was different from the other people,” Ricky said.
“I felt shy and ashamed to be with other people”
“I can be strong and live my life with happiness and without pain.
“I am grateful to Rotary and ROMAC which sponsored me to get medical treatment.”
Graeme Chester said during Ricky’s stay he had been home hosted by the Chetty family in McKinnon.
In this time he has been taught by Ms Chetty to write and speak English more clearly than when he first came to Melbourne.
Once Ricky has fully recovered he will be able to move his foot to a 90 degree angle.
ROMAC currently has a waiting list of 60 children in need of coming to Australia and New Zealand to receive life-saving and/or dignity restoring surgery not accessible to them in their home country.
For more information on the program, visit www.romac.org.au.
