The smile alone makes it.
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The gorgeous grin of Sophia Jans as she runs towards the camera is an image to warm the heart.
There is a terrific video of Sophia accompanying the story on our website at illawarramercury.com.au.
The Illawarra Mercury has followed Sophia’s journey since the beginning.
It started two years ago when her parents Carley and Chris were faced with an incredibly difficult decision.
A decision which must have been enormously difficult as parents.
They could either follow the advice of doctors and amputate their daughter’s leg or they could risk it seek complex surgery in the United States.
The latter would require an enormous price tag.
A quarter of a million dollars in fact.
This is where the ever generous community of the Illawarra stepped in to raise the money for Sophia';s surgery.
Sophia’s parents are now calling on the Australian Government to fund such surgery in this country.
‘’We didn’t receive a cent of government funding, yet without the procedure Sophia would have needed to be on disability support her whole life,’’ Chris Jans said.
A point well made.
To everyone who donated to Sophia’s cause, we know you don’t expected to get a reward for your generosity.
However, we do hope you enjoyed seeing Sophia again as much as we enjoyed bringing her smile to you.
You can visit the ‘save sophia's leg charity appeal’ Facebook page.
WIN AND WE ARE IN
Trying to work out the permutations of where teams could end up in the National Basketball League finals race over the last round of the season will give you a headache.
Yet when you boil it down things are quite simple for the Illawarra Hawks.
Win and we are in.
That’s the simple equation confronting the Illawarra Hawks who sit in second position on the NBL ladder and control their own destiny going into a clash against the Brisbane Bullets at the WIN Entertainment Centre on Saturday from 5.30 pm.
Win and the Hawks remain a strong chance of holding down second spot and securing a vital hoe advantage going into the NBL semi finals.
Get down and get loud #Hawkheads.