Two-year-old Tom, from a remote island in Vanuatu, arrived in Sydney in early March for treatment at Sydney Children's Hospital at Randwick.
Tom has now had surgery for bilateral club feet, and he was discharged from the hospital last Wednesday, with both legs in plaster casts, from his thighs to his toes.
For a little boy used to having the run of his home and village, the casts are restricting him somewhat, but he is facing up to the challenge!
Tom and his Mum, Marie, are staying at Ronald McDonald House, close to the hospital. The Rotary Club of Botany Randwick has been a long-time supporter of the House, and we currently sponsor a family accommodation room.
Tom and Marie are expected to stay in Sydney for about four weeks. During their stay they will be supported by members of the local Vanuatuan community, together with the ROMAC Eastern Region and District 9675 Team. Members of our club will be assisting.
It is somewhat of a challenge communicating, as Marie speaks Tok Pisin and some French. However, Google Translate has proved of enormous benefit, with a lot of laughs at some of the “close” translations.
We look forward to following Tom's progress and hope that it won't be long before he is up and running around on his two new feet!
For more information on the great work of ROMAC, visit https://www.romac.life/