Community helps twins achieve an active life

Two small girls struggle into their school classroom, moving slowly. They are encased in wire reinforced bodysuits, crowned with bike helmets.

Five-year-old twins Sage and Willow Golinski are only able to walk with any confidence in the body suits and helmets. Each has been diagnosed with a rare metabolic disorder with symptoms similar to cerebral palsy.    

Fast forward six years to 2011 and a riverside park in Tewantin on the Sunshine Coast. Again, each twin is wearing a bike helmet, but only because they’re compulsory.

Sage and Willow, now 12, enjoy regular cycle rides at the park, one of their favourite activities alongside gymnastics and dance.

As disability local area coordinator  Lee Kemp observes, “It has been a quite remarkable journey”.

The twins’ need for help to walk safely was paramount in 2004 when Lee first began working with the family. 

The girls had poor balance and coordination, and found it difficult to be understood when they spoke.

As their suits each cost $1400 and needed replacement annually, Lee introduced the family to the local Lions Club, whose members indicated that they wanted to help with this cost.

When the girls reached school age, their parents Rachel and Matt worked closely with Lee to identify what was needed to enable the girls to stay in mainstream education and live as typical a life as possible.

Speech therapy was an urgent priority, and again the Lions Club provided financial support. The Lions also assisted with the financing of voice output technology when the Department of Communities, the Australian Government and other community organisations together provided almost $24 000.

Over the past five years Sage and Willow have been able to benefit from other assistance and support. This has included physiotherapy and private literacy classes tailored to their needs, resourced by the Lions Club and other community service groups.

Through Lee’s close involvement, the family was provided with information about how other families in Australia and overseas were similarly striving to give their children with a disability a good life.

“Early on, Rachel and Matt also attended workshops organised by the department for parents of children with a disability, reinforcing these ‘inclusive’ values,” says Lee.

Watching the girls ride their bikes, Rachel Golinski says: “Not long ago the school physio decided they no longer require therapy because they get what they want from actively being involved in normal everyday activities.

“The support of the community has made all of this possible.”