By GEORGIA WESTGARTH
PEARCEDALE Primary School could have been mistaken for a super school on Friday 1 May as they took to the skies and raised more than $2800 for an old school mate.
Kooweerup Secondary College student Jesse Fahey, 17, rolled his ankle on a family holiday in America in 2014.
After an X-ray he was told he had a severe sprain, but within six weeks his ankle had continued to swell.
On the Australia Day weekend after an MRI scan, Jesse was told he had an aggressive tumour in his right leg.
Five days later Jesse was diagnosed with osteosarcoma and had his right foot and ankle amputated on Tuesday 21 April after two rounds of chemotherapy.
“It was the longest five days of my life,” Jesse’s mother, Linda Fahey said.
“It took just three months from the diagnosis to the amputation, but he has had such a positive attitude throughout the whole ordeal,” Ms Fahey said.
“It was so lucky he hurt his ankle in America or else we wouldn’t have known,” she said.
With another four months of chemotherapy to come, Jesse said he was getting used to the wheelchair but can’t wait for his prosthetic leg.
Jesse told his family, “I don’t care if they take my leg as long as I don’t have cancer.”
With 40 hours clocked on his L-plates, Jesse still has 80 hours of supervised driving to complete before he can attempt his P1 probationary licence.
“He stopped driving from the pain and can’t start again without a modified car,” Ms Fahey said.
After attending Pearcedale Primary School with his younger brother Jayden, Jesse was blown away with the support and dollars raised towards getting a car.
“I want to buy a Nissan skyline and have it modified with the money,” he said.
Acting principal Heidi McDonough raised about $700 in super hero themed badges.
“It’s the most money we’ve ever raised,” Ms McDonough said.
“It’s a gold coin donation dress up day but we had $50 and $100 notes dropped in today and some kids brought in their pocket money, it’s just been beautiful,” she said.
Ms McDonough took the familiar Fahey family around to classrooms where students read out stories they had written about super heroes and what it means to be brave.
“Jesse had been saving up for a car for a while, and this will make a huge difference,” Ms Fahey said.
Jesse’s next challenge is learning how to walk with his prosthetic leg, but thanks to his super hero friends and teachers at Pearcedale Primary School he is on his way to driving again. To make a donation visit: http://www.gofundme.com/s5wz7ns
