Brave brothers win Pride of Australia medals

ALMOST two years after a horrific explosion and fire almost claimed their lives, the bravery of two young boys was recognised at the Pride of Australia awards.

Pride of Australia awards at the Bellerive Century room picture of child of Courage award winners from left Fletcher and Spencer Connellyu

ALMOST two years after a horrific explosion and fire almost claimed their lives, the bravery of two young Burnie boys — and that of their neighbours — was recognised at yesterday’s Pride of Australia awards in Hobart.

Now aged 10 and 6, Fletcher and Spencer Connelly have been through more trauma and pain than most adults could imagine, but with a brand of bravery that cannot be ignored and which was recognised with the Child of Courage Medal.

In December 2012, Fletcher and Spencer sustained life-threatening burns in a car explosion and have since endured months of intense medical treatment.

GALLERY: PRIDE OF AUSTRALIA 2014

Neighbours Jenell Walker and Talissa Carling-Grey were relaxing in Jenell’s kitchen when they heard the explosion and dashed over the fence to help the boys.

The women received the Outstanding Bravery Medal at yesterday’s ceremony and for the first time since the incident, Ms Walker got to see and speak to the boys.

“They just gave me the biggest cuddle out,” she said.

“They’re doing really well and they look brilliant considering how they were when I got them out of the back yard. I honestly didn’t think they would make it.”

Mother Alison Lander said despite their ongoing treatments, Fletcher and Spencer were still able to be normal little boys.

“Spencer has always been a vibrant, outgoing boy,” she said.

“He was barely five when it happened and he will always have ongoing surgeries because his burns were a lot more severe. But he still tears around and each time we come back from hospital, it’s like we never left.

“Fletcher is more reserved but he is now growing in confidence and doing so well at school, winning lots of awards. He eventually may not need to [have surgery] and they’ll only be smaller ones.”

Another Pride of Australia winner yesterday was Sierra Leone refugee Isaiah Lahai in the Fair Go category.

Mr Lahai arrived back in Tasmania just in time for the awards ceremony after returning from Sydney to organise a shipping container full of donated medical supplies for Ebola sufferers in West Africa.

“I lost eight of my family members to the outbreak and since then I decided that if I can do something in Australia to help save a life, it’s worth doing,” he said.

“So I started asking people to help me and I got in contact with an overseas disaster relief organisation. The problem now is I need money to actually ship the container.”

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