A new life blossoms for Eliana

YOUNG East Timorese girl Eliana Maia returned home to Railaco Kraic this week with a new lease on life and a bright future.
The 12-year-old, from a family of eight children aged 10-18 years, has lived most of her life with a painfully damaged hip.
Now after free orthopaedic surgery in Brisbane she is active, free of pain and finally able to go to school.
It wasn’t just the pain of her fused hip that kept Eliana house bound. The condition had also resulted in significant shortening of her leg.
Her chance for a better life through surgery came when a group of Year 10 students from St Joseph’s Gregory Terrace visited Railaco Kraic while on an immersion trip last year.
Brisbane orthopaedic surgeon Dr Bill Donnelly joined his son on the trip and was approached by Christian Brother Bill Tynan to “have a look” at some children while he was there.
One of those children was Eliana and, after bringing the children to Dili for X-rays, Dr Donnelly was confident Australian doctors could offer her and 14-year-old Afonso de Jesus treatment.
Br Tynan was told doctors would donate their time and Holy Spirit Hospital Northside would give free medical treatment.
Rotary Oceania Medical Aid for Children (ROMAC) then came on board to help with flights, with the children and their fathers arriving in Brisbane on July 7.
Eliana and Afonso underwent surgery on July 13, and the ensuing weeks have been a steep learning curve for both children and parents.
Eliana and her father Silvero have spent most of her convalescence as house guests of another family from St Joseph’s Gregory Terrace, Bernadette and Paul Higgins.
While Eliana has enjoyed Australia she has missed her siblings.
She was expecting and looking forward to a big party and family reunion when she and her father returned home.
Eliana and Silvero were to have flown home on Tuesday (September 4), accompanied by this year’s immersion students from St Joseph’s Gregory Terrace.
Afonso, who needed surgery to correct an injury to his lower leg, will remain in Australia for another two months.