Girl, 9, becomes one of the first in Wales fitted with prosthetic leg blade on the NHS

A girl from Builth Wells is able to run and keep up with her friends after being fitted with a new sports prosthetic for free on the NHS.

When Shannon Flaherty, 9, played tag in school, her friends used to slow down because they knew they could catch her.

But since wearing her prosthetic blade, made available on the NHS thanks to new Welsh Government funding, she's now one of the quickest in her class.

  • Shannon's mother on the impact the new prosthesis has had

Her parents Helen and Steve said the sports blade has given their daughter a massive confidence boost.

"We've tried to bring up Shannon to make sure she has a go at everything and she's someone who's sporty and will do anything," Helen said.

"It's made a massive impact."

Shannon was born with a condition called amniotic band syndrome Credit: Helen and Steve Flaherty

Shannon was born prematurely and had a rare condition called amniotic band syndrome, which constricts parts of a baby's body in the womb.

Born without a left leg, she was fitted with her first prosthesis when she was 9 months old.

The prosthesis, which resembled a conventional leg, allowed Shannon to learn how to walk at the age of 2.

At the age 8, Shannon was fitted with her new sports blade at the Artificial Limb and Appliance Centre at Cardiff's Rookwood Hospital - and has flourished ever since.

The prosthetic allows her to run faster and makes it easier to participate in sports.

Helen said: "We understand she was the first child in Wales to have the blade fitted on the Welsh NHS.

"It fits in her roller boots, she can go scooting and on her trike - it's lovely to see."

Shannon was fitted for her new prosthetic at Rookwood Hospital

Shannon was able to get her new sports blade on the NHS because of funding made available by the Welsh Government.

The £417,000 a year allows children and young people to be assessed and provided with running and swimming prosthetics on the health service up to the age of 25.

It also provides extra staff and resources at three specialists centres in Cardiff, Swansea and Wrexham.

Health Minister Eluned Morgan said: We're really delighted that disabled children in Wales are able to access this fund for them to be able to participate wholly in their communities and schools.

"We've seen how people like Shannon have had their lives transformed this way and I'm really proud the Welsh Government have been able to fund this initiative."