All Around Pennsauken

In May of this year, 13-year-old Jade DiSanti had a freak mishap on the soccer field that ultimately caused her to have her left leg amputated from above the knee.

The doctors told her that she would never be able to play soccer again. This was never an acceptable answer. Jade has soccer in her blood.

“It’s hard watching [soccer] and not playing,” says Jade. “I love it.”

DiSanti, who attends Howard M. Phifer Middle School, is determined to get back on the pitch. She’s already astounded her doctors. It’s been four months since her surgery, and Jade is two months ahead of her rehab than what you’d normally expect with someone learning to use a prosthetic.

“She was doing things before she was supposed to be doing them,” says Mike DiSanti, Jade’s dad. “They’re actually slowing her up right now.”

Still, learning to trust the prosthetic leg takes a lot of getting used to. And while Jade’s determination and energy is impressive, even the best of us need some inspiration, particularly13-year-olds.

So last month, Jade and her classmates received a special surprise, a visit from April Holmes, a Paralympian who has put together seven undefeated seasons and first won gold in the 100 meters at the 2008 Beijing Games. Off the track, Holmes runs the April Holmes Foundation, Inc. a non-profit organization assisting people with physical and learning disabilities with scholarships and medical equipment.

“I’ve had so many people e-mail me, call me or text me, ‘You have to meet this girl named Jade. She lost her leg,’” says Holmes. “And after 50 people come to you about the same little girl, I’m like, ‘Who is this little girl that everybody keeps telling me I need to meet?’ They say it takes an entire community to raise a kid; and there were so many people in this community that reached out to me because of her.”

April tracked down Jade’s parents, and with the help of Principal Thomas Honeyman, put together a special presentation for Jade and her classmates at Phifer Middle School.

“I’m welcoming her to our ‘community’ and making her peers feel comfortable,” explains Holmes. “She’s not different, she just showed up with a prosthetic leg. Now because they saw me, now they see what’s possible for Jade. And that’s one of the reasons why I wanted to come here. You can lose your leg and still be running. You can lose your leg and still play soccer.”

According to Principal Honeyman, the presentation was very well received. “It went better than I even imagined. The students were very receptive. When we played the video and then introduced April, you could’ve heard a pin drop.”

After the event, students walked away with a message about resilience, perseverance and overcoming obstacles. “It was a special day. It’s all the intangible things that aren’t on the Common Core Standards,” added Honeyman.

But the real value of April’s visit occurred after the presentation, when the seasoned athlete and motivational speaker took time to speak with Jade one-on-one.

“It’s great when [Jade] gets to talk to somebody who’s been through it,” says Jade’s mom, Kelly. “We don’t know what she’s feeling. We can’t give her the answers. Meeting April is what it’s all about. This is what we appreciate. It helps Jade feel normal.”

“It was nice motivation,” added Jade. “I can do everything I used to do. It’s possible.”