Kaylib Timm could not stop smiling as he spoke to Benoni City Times about his new prosthetic leg on August 8.

The 17-year-old looked like a weight had finally been lifted off his shoulders.

There was a noticeable lightness in his voice and a confidence that had been missing when we last spoke to him.

“I feel like I’ve come out of my shell,” he said, his excitement impossible to hide.

After the City Times highlighted Kaylib’s plight last month, following his appeal for help to replace a prosthetic leg he had outgrown, the community responded.

A generous donor, who chose to remain anonymous, stepped forward to cover the costs of the new prosthesis, while others also contributed towards helping Kaylib.

The teenager could hardly contain his gratitude.

“It’s so much better. From the first leg, seeing how things have advanced and how much the new prosthetic is helping me, it’s unbelievable. Really, it’s unbelievable.”

At the age of nine, in 2018, Kaylib was diagnosed with stage three Ewing’s sarcoma, an aggressive form of bone cancer that started in the lower bone before spreading to his bone marrow.

Also Read: VIDEO: Local teenager Kaylib needs a new prosthetic leg to keep chasing his dreams

Five months into a gruelling 12-month chemotherapy treatment, Kaylib’s leg had to be amputated to prevent the cancer from spreading to his lungs.

His first prosthetic leg, received in 2022, helped him regain mobility and confidence.

But Kaylib has since grown considerably, leaving him with a prosthesis that was no longer suitable for him and limiting his ability to enjoy the sports he loves.

Now, with his new leg, he is determined to make the most of the opportunity to follow his dream of returning to running and football on the field at Benoni Northerns Sports Club, where he previously had the opportunity to play.

He thanked the community, saying none of this would have been possible without the people who answered his call for help.

“I want to say, truthfully, thank you so much,” he said. “I am unbelievably grateful and truly pray today that God blesses you in abundant ways.

“You’ve done me the greatest favour. It’s the greatest heroism I’ve ever seen.”

He reserved special thanks for the anonymous donor who made the biggest contribution.

“Thank you so much for coming in so quickly. I wasn’t expecting it to be that fast and I truly pray that God blesses you because you’ve done me the greatest service.”

Also Read: New leg offers comfort for learner