Sam Campbell shattered his right leg in the opening week of the Goulburn Valley League’s finals series, landing awkwardly while playing with Kyabram in the reserve-grade loss to Seymour.
He spent a week in hospital, has been confined to a wheelchair ever since and is about to undergo further operations to align the bones in his broken ankle, tibia and fibia bones.
Jess Scoble and Mustafa Hassani have combined their resources, the first having only been in business for a month or so and the second having been a newcomer to the Kyabram community in the past 12 months.
Jess was inspired to launch the appeal because she has three footballing sons, one who ironically had a spectacular finish to his 2023 season when he made his senior debut with Kyabram in a winning preliminary final (teenager Angus).
Mustafa came on board when he heard of Sam’s plight and there has been an extraordinary response, a $1 from the sale of every regular coffee and kebab sold from a fortnight ago going toward offsetting the medical and recovery costs that Sam faces in the coming months.
“People are getting behind it. A lot of people have been putting extra money in the tin,” Jess said.
Sam described the whole process as “a slow burn’’, but some relief from his initial week in hospital and confinement to home was provided when he went to Deakin Reserve to watch his team play in a preliminary final.
Unfortunately they lost, but he took some solace in the fact the senior team won through to the grand final.
Sam had been working with Richmond Football Club, while studying, in a coaching role with Auskick and Australian schools sports camps.
“I can’t do that any more,” he said.
He will spend another six weeks at home before he can even consider restoring any form of normality to his life.
Sam’s Mum Kerrie, as mentioned in the Free Press a fortnight ago, was more worried about concussion injuries than bone breaks
“He had been badly concussed on four concussions and twice needed an ambulance.
"When I went out on to the ground I was confused until they told me to look at his leg. I am no good with that stuff,“ she said, referring to the angles at which Sam’s foot was facing in comparison to his leg.”
Sam has had a regular stream of visitors through his home and while a little embarrassed about all the attention said the money would be “really helpful’’ with offsetting the cost of the equipment he would need to go about living.
“I need stuff to help me shower and other equipment which will be in the rebab,” he said.
His mother explained the club had been extremely supportive and while they were still working through the insurance she was not expecting that to cover the extensive rehabilitation.
Jess and Mustafa have put no end date on the Sam Campbell appeal, just keep an eye out for the tins on both businesses’ counters and when they throw a dollar in feel free to do the same.
• Kyabram Kebab’s generosity comes hot on the heels of the new small business owner donating 14 $50 IGA vouchers to the community’s under-privileged and homeless.
Mustafa launched the appeal during winter, designed to provide people who often went without with a little luxury in life and some of the essentials that most of us take for granted.
“The vouchers are now sitting at the shop, so people who are struggling can come into and see me if they need some help,” he said.
Mustafa said he appreciated all the support of the Kyabram community and the $700-plus that was raised would go to people who needed it the most.
He only opened the doors of his business on February 4 this year and described the Kyabram community as amazing.
“I feel like to have to give something back. This is the best place I have ever lived,” he said.
“The way people have been supporting me has really surprised me. I now know a lot of people I feel like I am part of a big family.”
