Shropshire border girl, 6, gets blade after leg amputation
A six-year-old girl from the Shropshire border who had part of her leg amputated is able to run again after she was surprised with a sports blade.
Ffion Rudman, from Llansantffraid, was just four-years-old when she had to have the lower part of her leg amputated after contracting sepsis.
Her mum Helen read a story in the Shropshire Star about Macey Hand, from Bridgnorth, who was one of the first children in the country to get a running blade.
"I rang the Shropshire Star and they put me in contact with Macey's parents," she said. "We met up and they said we could get a blade on the NHS. I thought it was brilliant because she just wanted to run again because she was always last at sports day.
"But because we are two miles across the border into Wales we weren't able to get funding as it only covers England. I gave up hope of ever getting a blade for Ffion then because they cost thousands of pounds."
At Ffion's next hospital appointment to get re-fitted for a standard plastic leg, Mrs Rudman asked doctors about getting a blade for her daughter but was told it is unlikely.
She continued: "When we went back to get the leg I thought it would just be a standard one. I don't know how they did it but they'd got Ffion a sporting blade.
"When she first tried it on and went out into the long corridor at the hospital, she just started running up and down. She said she felt like a kangaroo."
Just this week Ffion, who attends Llansantffraid Primary School, took part in sports day wearing her new blade.
"It's made such a difference to her life," Mrs Rudman added. "Her old leg isn't really made for running because it was slow so this one is brilliant for her.
"I'm ecstatic for her because it means she can do what she wants to do which is all you want as a parent for your children."
