Over the last few months, 12-year-old Ethan Chamings has been asked to confront a harrowing and almost unthinkable series of challenges.
He has been diagnosed with cancer, undergone surgery, lost a leg and started a course of chemo — but, by his own admission, he is now focused on "being able to get back on my feet and to restart my life".
To do that, he needs equipment and a prosthetic leg, all of which comes at an expensive cost and so the local sporting community in Adelaide's northern suburbs have thrown their support behind him.
Ethan had no inkling he had cancer until he broke his leg playing sport, only experiencing some pain in his leg in the few weeks prior.
"I was at netball training and we were playing this mini game — it was just a fun practice game — and I tripped over and I broke my leg," he said.
He was taken to the Women's and Children's Hospital in North Adelaide where he went through "a bunch of tests" and scans, and was eventually told he had bone cancer.
"I was devastated, but I kind of accepted the fact I had cancer," Ethan said.
Ethan's father Brett said receiving a cancer diagnosis was a complete shock.
"And obviously our world was flipped on its head instantly," he said.
"So everything that's happened since has caused a lot of stress and a lot of chaos in our household.
"We just had to be there for Ethan through the whole time.
"You go into hospital with a broken leg and you get told that he's got bone cancer … when you get that diagnosis, it's obviously quite a shock, and it's a hard thing to deal with," he said.
"It's just lucky we are such a close family.
"All our friends and family were there for us and they have been along the way."
After 10 weeks of chemotherapy — with his broken leg still in a full cast — Ethan was dealt another blow and was told he would need to have his leg amputated to remove the cancer.
"Leading up to the surgery I was really nervous but I had my family and they helped me through it," he said.
Ethan underwent surgery last Tuesday and he will soon begin another 20 weeks of chemotherapy.
Sports clubs rally behind Ethan
An online fundraising page was set up by Ethan's extended family in the weeks after his diagnosis, raising more than $12,000 so far.
In addition, Ethan's teammates from the local soccer and netball club raised $13,000 from a family fun day on Sunday.
"I'm grateful for the fact that they've come together to help me and to fundraise money leading up to eventually buying my prosthetic leg and being able to get back on my feet and to restart my life," Ethan said.
Ethan has already spent the vast majority of the past 10 weeks in hospital and has more visits to come as he continues chemotherapy following his surgery.
Mr Chamings said the money raised would help cover costs associated with the ongoing visits as well as contribute to much-needed equipment, and was particularly helpful as Ethan's mum Sam has stopped work to care for him.
"We've lost one income which makes it really difficult for us, the bills don't stop," he said.
"Without [the fundraisers] we would have been under so much pressure, I really don't know how we would have got through this without that," he said.
"We're just so grateful for everything that everyone's done."
Speaking at the fundraiser on Sunday, Mr Chamings said he was overwhelmed by the support.
"To think, two weeks before Christmas, people are putting their hands in their pockets and doing anything they can to support Ethan and us — it's just amazing," he said.
Salisbury Sharks United Soccer Club's Jason Baker said they "jumped at the opportunity" to support Ethan and his family during the difficult time.
"As a father it just absolutely breaks your heart," he said.
"A young kid, a 12-year-old kid to go through that, an active young fella, to lose a leg, I can only imagine what he's going through."
Mr Baker said the club wanted to "wrap our arms around them and try and get them through this really difficult time".
"It's obviously very, very traumatic for him but it's also traumatic for the family," he said.
'He's as tough as nails'
The family's immediate focus is now on helping Ethan become mobile, as well as supporting him through upcoming rounds of chemotherapy.
"There's a long road ahead and it's just about making sure he gets the best care and gets every chance in life," Mr Chamings said.
But Ethan is already looking forward to getting back on the sporting field.
"His surgeon was really positive and optimistic, saying this will open up a whole lot of opportunities with disability sports and all that sort of thing," Mr Chamings said.
"We've already had a look at prosthetics and he's really keen to get into an athletic prosthetic so he can do his athletics, play netball again and possibly soccer, and ride a bike.
"He's got the willpower and he'll learn to get walking again, no doubt about it. He's as tough as nails.
"He's overcome every challenge so far so we've got absolutely no doubt in the world he'll be back out there playing sport."
