weekender the western
Printed on 100% recycled paper
FRI 22 AUG 2014 • Issue 1167
Tony rides into town
PROUDLY INDEPENDENT
Win big for Dad! How you could win your Dad the ultimate Father’s Day prize p.22
John’s anxious wait He’s a community icon in Penrith, now he needs your support KATHERINE TWEED
Pollies pedal into Penrith p.6
Girls prepare for finals p.40
Rowing success Nepean on the cusp of exciting new era p.37
@ktweed_
J
ohn Boccanfuso is unquestionably a Penrith icon. For around 40 years, he has been sitting at his table in Westfield Penrith selling pens for charity organisation, House With No Steps. He has given up most of his life to give opportunities to others but after his motorised wheelchair recently broke, it may be the time for the community to give something back to him. When he was 12-years-old, the Kingswood resident was involved in a bicycle accident that left him with severe damage to his cerebellum, which is the part of the brain responsible for motor skills. He was left unconscious in hospital for weeks and when he woke, his co-ordination was so severely affected that he had to spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair. Getting around town was not so hard when he had his motorised wheelchair but since it broke, he is in need of constant assistance. “To get around now, I have to get pushed everywhere. I borrowed this wheelchair from where I live [Kingswood Court Aged Care Facility],” he told the Weekender. “I need one like this but with a motor, to get around because I can’t push myself.” The 61-year-old is facing a long, anxious wait to find out whether he will be eligible to receive a motorised wheelchair from a government service. “It would make a great difference to me if I didn’t have to pay for it myself. I get so tired trying to get myself around in this chair,” he said. To offer your assistance and support, John is happy to talk to you directly at Westfield.
John Boccanfuso is in desperate need of a new wheelchair. Photo: Melinda Jane
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