9-year-old boy receives custom prosthetic running blade at road race
By WBZ Staff
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CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts (WBZ) — A nine-year-old Merrimack, New Hampshire boy got the chance to try something new this weekend. Aiden Collyar lost his leg to cancer a year ago. On Sunday, he was a special guest at the Bionic 5K in Cambridge on Sunday.
The race raises money for the Bionic Project, which is a nonprofit that promotes active lifestyles to overcome physical challenges.
This year, that group gave $10,000 to the Born To Run Foundation, which gifts prosthetics to young amputees. That money funded a custom running blade for Aiden.
“It feels pretty good to have a running blade,” said Aiden. ” I’m going to be able to run more.”
“It’s so exciting because this is something we couldn’t have done on our own. To have that help, it means the world,” said mom Samantha Collyar. “He can sometimes become this little shy kid, but this is something he’s truly excited about.”
Femita Ayanbeku was there to gift Aiden the blade. She lost her own leg when she was 11 but has gone on to join the US Paralympic team.
“He’s a kid so he has all that life in him. Being able to give him this blade today, it’s like he’s been active already so giving him that blade is just going to take him to the moon,” she said.
The Born To Run Foundation was founded by Noelle Lambert, a former college athlete who lost her leg in a moped accident. She went on to compete for the US Paralympic team.
Aiden’s prosthetic is the 18th given out by the organization.
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