Disabled teen wants to become a football coach

If the football dreams of disabled teen Dane 'Fudgie' Brown are to be realised, then the new Central Kingston Member of Parliament (MP) will have to get the ball rolling.

The sitting MP Ronald Thwaites will not be seeking re-election, and a host of aspirants are lined up to run on the People's National Party (PNP) ticket. On June 22, the delegates will decide who will take over from Thwaites.

Brown, 16, who suffers from a bone disease called osteogenesis imperfecta, is a resident of Rae Town. His bones break easily, often from mild trauma or with no apparent cause.

That, however, has not deterred the Genesis Academy student from paying keen attention to his favourite sport.

On his first opportunity to speak with the incoming MP, the discussion would likely surround football.

"As I wake is football. I love football. Wayne Rooney is my favourite ,although he is retired. Rae Town has a lot of footballers, a lot, even my friends. A kid from down there, Emilio 'Strappa' Russell, he uses to play for St George's College, but now he plays for Portmore (United)."

Due to health reasons, Brown cannot play the game, but he harbours dreams of becoming a football coach one day.

For him, football is a vehicle that can make a change for communities like Rae Town.

"I would personally want them to fix the football field. They should bring more things like job opportunities to the community. I am talking for everyone, we need more work. Most people in this community don't have any jobs," he said.

Brown said that even though he is disabled, he hopes to defy the odds.

"When I grow older, I would want a work myself and to show people that kids with disability can do what you can do but we do it different", Brown said.

He told THE STAR that he has never been to the National Stadium to watch football, so he keeps up with the national programme from the television set in his living room.

And he is very aware of how well the Reggae Girlz are doing, and he is proud of their progress.

"I feel very good because when I was watching most of the matches, there was nobody in the crowd to cheer for the girls. In my opinion, I believe that they achieved so much for the country," Brown told THE STAR.