Martha Karantao is overjoyed by the donation of a bike after hers was stolen from Maralinga Primary School last month. Picture: Stewart Chambers.
By Shaun Inguanzo
A MYSTERY donor has brightened the life of a physically impaired Keysborough student who was reduced to tears when thieves stole her bicycle last month.
Star revealed in August that thieves targeted Maralinga Primary School’s bike rack, stealing three bikes belonging to students within the same number of days.
On each occasion the school had been at Chandler Community Centre rehearsing and performing its latest musical production What A Day! for other schools’ students and community members.
One of the bikes stolen belonged to 11-year-old Martha Karantao, who has a chronic genetic blood disorder called sickle cell disease.
Her father Al Karantao said the disorder affected movement in Martha’s left hip and leg, and that riding was a therapeutic activity Martha had only begun about eight weeks before thieves stole her bicycle.
The Karantao family has spent years consulting the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne for Martha’s physiotherapy and other treatments.
“The school rang me up and told me about the bike,” Mr Karantao said.
“Martha was very, very upset for days.
“She was in tears most of the time because she had to walk to school and walk back, and because of that had to sit down somewhere during the walk because it was hard for her.”
But after seeing the story, a good Samaritan contacted Maralinga Primary School principal Peter Gray and offered to cover the cost of a new bike for Martha.
Mr Gray said he contacted Mr Karantao on Friday and by Monday Martha was riding her new bicycle to school, complete with helmet and cheek-to-cheek smile.
The donor wanted to remain anonymous Mr Gray said.
The gesture has surprised the Karantao family and restored its faith in the community.
“I couldn’t believe it. I just could not believe that there are such good Samaritans around in the community,” Mr Karantao said.
“We are so grateful to (the donor). I just hope there are more people like him in the community.”
Mr Gray said the school community was elated by the donation.
“Obviously we are very pleased that the generous donor has helped to overshadow the unpleasantness of the actual theft of the bike,” he said.
“It shows that in the school and wider community there are still good-hearted people out there.”
