Changing kid’s lives in rural Queensland – Meet Jarrabah

Jarrabah is an 8-year-old boy living in Cherbourg, 250 kilometres north-west of Brisbane. Like many people living rurally, life can be tough, with the community a significant distance from hospitals and resources for those living with chronic health conditions.

Jarrabah needs some extra support as he suffers from severe bronchiectasis, a chronic lung condition where the airways become damaged and widened, leading to frequent infections and other respiratory problems. Jarrabah must do chest therapy regularly and find other ways to keep active every day to maintain his lung health.

Children’s Health Queensland travel to his remote community regularly, and this month Advanced Respiratory Physiotherapist Joanne Leavitt approached Variety Queensland to ask if we could provide Jarrabah with a bike through the Variety Bikes for Kids program.

Bikes for Kids is designed to give freedom and independence to children who are sick, disadvantaged or who have a disability by providing them with their very own bike. While the NDIS does not fund bikes for children, we know that they can be life-changing, ensuring kids can join in activities with their friends, while supporting an active and healthy lifestyle.

Jarrabah was keen to ride to and from school and take part in after-school fun with his friends – however, this was out of reach for his family.

Thanks to the Variety Bikes for Kids program, we could provide Jarrabah with the perfect bike and Joanne was able to hand deliver it to him on her next visit to Cherbourg.

Our Kids Support Coordinator Kellie Turner also ensured that a helmet, lock and pump were included to help Jarrabah maintain his bike and keep it safe, and we were able to send a box of toys, too – these will be used by kids waiting for their health appointments at the Community Health Centre.

Jarrabah was so excited to receive a bike! Now, he can join in with the other kids in his community, build up his independence – and most importantly, he has the means to keep healthy and active.

Seeing his beaming smile as he rides his new bike reminds us why we do what we do.