Help Gen Walk
Genelle De Petra is unstoppable - a single mum juggling full time work with a small business. And she does all this with only one leg.
"She does everything. She is so inspirational. She's never let anything hold her back." Gen's sister Nicole Edmonson has watched Gen make every moment count since losing her leg to cancer when she was only nine.
Gen's used crutches for two decades, but now Nicole wants to help her sister walk on her own. Years of lifting and supporting her body weight has ruined Gen's wrists and shoulders.
With a simple prosthetic knee, Gen hasn't been able to wear a leg for long. But new technology has created a perfect solution - a computerised knee. But while a basic prosthetic leg is covered by government funding, anything extra Gen must pay for - and this high tech, computer driven knee costs eighty thousand dollars. "Mum and dad had offered to take a loan to pay for the knee, and it just didn't sit well with either Genelle or myself."
So Nicole's mission is to raise the money for her. "It would enable her to do things that everyone takes for granted."
"Whilst she's a very difficult case we thought that with some of the newer materials and some of the newer socket designs that we utilise, that we would be able to help her out." Prosthetist Brendan Cahill has been working with Gen to fit the perfect prosthetic leg - which will be easier and safer to use with the new knee. "It judges the speed and angle and adjusts the settings to better aid the amputee."
But Brendan says even with her bionic joint, Gen will still have a big job ahead of her as prosthetic legs are difficult to use. "A huge amount of hard work for Gen and gen's realistic about that."
But nothing will stop her; Gen is more than ready to walk on her own two feet. Gen says "I know that this is my chance to make this happen."