Berwick Junior Football Club and Dandenong Stingrays player Elisha Lane has had to put a pause on her football journey.
The 17-year-old footballer recently tore her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and meniscus and is seeking help to raise $6000 for surgery to get her back on the ground.
Lane has been playing for Berwick JFC and the Dandenong Stingrays since 2019.
“Football has always been a way to de-stress and put my focus elsewhere,” she said.
“As a student, it’s always been a healthy outlet and allowed me to prioritise my mental health and physical health.
“Playing football is where I feel my absolute best.”
Lane said it was “heartbreaking” for her to see her parents stress to pay for her medical bills.
“They are not the type of people to ask for help which is why I’ve taken it upon myself to start this to be able to provide them with the option to receive help to alleviate their stress and get the surgery done, as my parents have done so much for me already, which I am infinitely grateful for.”
“Unfortunately, my family and I do not have private health insurance as we are financially unable to afford it, and the waiting list for the surgery in the public health care system is around two years minimum.
“Being surrounded by the community I have at Berwick is what’s made the injury a lot easier.”
With the surgery estimated to cost $12,000, the fundraiser had raised $2540 at the time of publication.
Lane said she initially hoped it was a posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) injury, as the recovery time would be shorter.
“I injured myself in the first quarter of our second round, I went in for a tackle and after completing the tackle, I was pushed back and while trying plant my feet and regain my balance my knee buckled and I heard a pop and felt instant pain,” she said.
“I had to be stretchered off and was quite distraught.
“For any athlete who tears their ACL, there is an increased risk of arthritis in the knee, but it also means nine to 12 months of not playing the sport they love.
Lane said the injury had set her back in a number of ways.
“This year, I was really trying my best to improve my skills and fitness to be able to play at a higher level,” she said.
“The reality of how bad I injured my knee really impacted my mental health due to how much work I had put in before hand.
“The surgery that I will be undergoing is taking a piece of my hamstring and using it to repair my ACL, the pain after the surgery is supposed to be fairly bad, and I will be dependent on my parents to do almost everything for me for the first part of my recovery.”
To contribute to the fundraiser, visit www.gofundme.com/f/fund-for-my-surgery-to-fix-my-acl-and-meniscus.
