The plight of a Gold Coast girl with a rare muscular condition has inspired the support of a Griffith University graduate, two international students and the Gold Coast Community Fund. Their aim is to raise enough money to buy a life-changing special vehicle.
Seven-year-old Izzabelle Burns lives with Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita, an exceptionally disabling condition that involves joint contracture in two or more areas of the body. Its devastating impact is similar to that of quadriplegia.
Izzy’s grandparents, Stephen and Kerri-Lee Burns, are her prime carers and while they have embraced the role with love and dedication, the challenges are many. One of the biggest is transport.
“On school days, Izzy travels with her grandmother while her motorised wheelchair follows behind in a maxi taxi,” says Gold Coast Community Fund coordinator Mr Malcolm Tucker, who graduated from Griffith with a Bachelor of Information Technology in 2002.
“The cost of the maxi taxi is incredibly