Cranbourne Football Club heart disease fighter Daniel Sibberas coins Heartkids Cup for Eagles-Pakenham CCFL showdown
CRANBOURNE and Pakenham will play for more than just Premiership points at Casey Fields on Saturday, Eagles junior Daniel Sibberas organising the Heartkids Cup to raise funds for the charity.
South East
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CRANBOURNE teen Daniel Sibberas has a heart of gold.
But the Cranbourne U19 footballer has needed surgery, medication, several trips to the Royal Children’s Hospital and much help from the team at Heartkids to get his ticker functioning properly.
The 17-year-old, who has been fitted with a loop recorder in his chest to keep tabs on his heart, has organised a day at the footy to create awareness about and raise funds for Heartkids Victoria & Tasmania.
Cranbourne and Pakenham will square off for the inaugural Heartkids Cup at Casey Fields on Saturday.
At just eight years of age, Daniel was diagnosed with Catecholaminergic Polymorphic Ventricular Tachycardia (CPVT) — a rhythm disorder of the ventricles of the heart.
Basically, his heart was out of tune.
And while the doctors, surgeons and nurses at RCH took care of the physical side, it was the Heartkids team who helped he and his family deal with the emotional toll of the debilitating condition.
Now the Cranbourne U19 player wants to pay them back.
“I’ve been playing footy for most of my life, but I had to have a good season and more off with surgeries and not being able to play because of my heart,” Daniel said.
“It was tough, but the people at Heartkids helped me and my family deal with it all.
“The cup has been put together to raise awareness and a little bit of money for the charity.”
Heartkids Victoria event and fundraising cordinator Pruedonce Bainbridge said Daniel was an inspiration.
“Daniel is a junior ambassador for Heartkids and we love the fact he wants to get the message out there and show other kids that yes, it is an illness and he’s battled it, but he’s just like any other kid, he still loves to get out there and kick a footy around,” Bainbridge said.
“He’s such an inspiring young man, it’s amazing how young people can teach us things.”
Daniel’s mum, Shellei Sibberas, said Daniel had done almost all of the organisation himself.
“We will be out there with the Heartkids people, handing out pamphlets, rattling tins, and just trying to raise awareness about heart disorders in young people,” Ms Sibberas said.
“Whenever he had to go to hospital, the Heartkids people were always there for us.
“They would come in if we needed a break — our support person at RCH would sit with Daniel and give us a couple of hours to do something.
“If ever we needed anyone to talk to, they were there for all of us.
Both clubs are supporting the event.
“Daniel’s an out and out club person, he’s Cranbourne through and through and loves being around the place,” Baker said.
“He will do anything to help out the club and certainly has a wonderful outlook on life and, for what he’s gone through, it’s a credit to him.
“We want to make this an annual event with Pakenham and they’re pretty keen as well.”
The two Casey Cardinia Football Club teams will play for the Heartkids Cup at Casey Fields Oval 2, Berwick-Cranbourne Rd, Cranbourne East, on Saturday, August 17, from 2pm. There are four games on the day, kicking off with the U17s at 8.30am.
Entry is $10, kids U15 are free.