Thanks to nib, Mitchell Bond was granted the opportunity to run through the banner before last Saturday night’s clash between the Cats and the Swans at Simonds Stadium.

The 12-year-old from Leopold contracted Transverse Myelitis at just six months of age.

The neurological disorder caused by inflammation across the spinal cord left him with partial paralysis of the legs, which requires him to use crutches or a wheelchair to get around. 

“He was just beaming when he ran onto the field and we haven’t been able to wipe the smile off his face since,” Mitchell’s father Scott said.

Mitchell is an active sportsman having played wheelchair basketball for the past four years and three years ago started wheelchair racing, training under the guidance of Geelong-based, three-time Paralympian, Richard Colman. 

The club’s elite partner, nib health funds, and their charitable organisation, nib foundation made Mitchell’s once-in-a-lifetime opportunity possible.