Shannon Fiamengo was a 'vibrant' young man, in the words of his friends, playing rugby for Southern Districts Pirates, in Melbourne, until the age of eighteen.
But in 2010 an accident left him with an acquired brain injury which confined him to a nursing home.
He needs specialist around-the-clock care, but there are very few youth-based care and rehabilitation facilities.
Four years later his family eventually found one at Seaford in Melbourne's outer south. But the facility comes with a hefty price tag.
So at the Run Melbourne event on Sunday, the Melbourne Rebels and their Access Rugby program, which aims to introduce people to the game, ran for him.
They took him along the five kilometre course, with sister Kaylaa alongside him every step of the way, and father Ivan pushing his wheelchair.
Access Rugby Development Officer Jeremy Nikora says it was an easy decision.
"When we heard of his story, it was a quick decision to have that as our nominated charitable cause, due to the connection with Kaylaa as one of our female role models on the program," says Jeremy.
"The major charities and causes get a lot of attention already. This one is a little more obscure, but by no means less important."
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