A rare form of eye cancer may have claimed his sight, but it won’t stop Isaiah Muller from enjoying football.
The 10-year-old, who got into footy through listening to games on the radio, had the opportunity to have a kick and a catch with one of his idols on Friday when Crows rookie Keenan Ramsey paid a visit to him and his classmates at the SA School for Vision Impaired (SASVI).
It was a particularly special meeting for Isaiah, who lost both of his eyes to the same form of eye cancer which saw Keenan lose one eye when he was two-and-a-half.
Despite growing up with a prosthetic eye, Ramsey never gave up on his dream of being drafted to an AFL team. Similarly, Isaiah hasn’t let his loss of sight slow him down.
According to SASVI PE teacher Andrew Whisson, Isaiah can be found kicking the football during most lunch breaks.
Noting the passion Isaiah and a number of the school's students have for Australian Rules, Whisson has developed a blind football prototype which is believed to be the first of its kind
“The football has a buzzer sewn into it so the kids can tell where the ball is," Whisson explained.
"Initially, I tried a bell but the kids then couldn't find the ball when it stopped moving, whereas the buzzer makes a consistent noise on the ground, or in the air."
"Just like all kids, our students love running around, trying new sports and being active. There's a lot of passionate footballers so it's been very exciting to have Keenan visit for a chat and basic skills session.”
The visit to SASVI was part of the Crows’ Growing with Gratitude program, which aims to improve the mental health, thoughts and habits of primary school children, developing an attitude of gratitude by promoting kindness, mindfulness and happiness.
The program’s booklet has recently been developed in braille to allow vision impaired children to take part. As part of the visit, Ramsey also helped to launch the school’s new lunch time football program which is run by Blind Sports SA's Kent Dredge.
The Crows’ Growing with Gratitude program is conducted at schools across South Australia. For more information visit http://www.growingwithgratitude.com.au/blog/crows-in-schools/
