HOLLYWOOD superstar Dwayne Johnson surprised a Scots amputee charity with a video message introducing a special screening of his recent film Skyscraper.
The Rock, who plays an amputee in the blockbuster, said: “Thank you to Finding Your Feet for hosting tonight – you guys are doing great work for amputees and their families.
“We appreciate all you do and thank you for being an inspiration.”
The Finding Your Feet charity, based in the city, supports families affected by amputation or limb difference, through a range of sporting initiatives and social inclusion projects.
Skyscraper was chosen to be shown as it features an amputee action hero – something the charity hope will “fill those who have experienced limb loss all across the world with confidence, pride and relief that awareness of amputation is being brought to the world stage.”
The charity was founded by Corinne Hutton, after losing both her hands and her feet in a near-fatal bout of septicaemia in 2013.
She said: “We were so excited to see an amputee action hero that we got in touch with Universal to organise a private screening of Skyscraper at the GFT.
“We’re all about showing people the things that amputees can do, and we want to change the often negative perception of having a ‘disability.’
“The video message from Dwayne Johnson was a complete surprise and the 140 people in the room were speechless. To hear him supporting the work we do at Finding Your Feet made me quite emotional.
“He seems like a really genuine person, and he’s not bad to look at either! We hope that an endorsement of this scale will help us reach more families affected by limb loss and offer our support.”
The amputees we support absolutely loved @skyscrapermovie – and we even got a surprise video message from the big man himself @TheRock showing love for the work we're doing. We couldn't quite believe it – he's the man! #SKYSCRAPER @SevenBucksProd pic.twitter.com/2wzbu8vIgP
— Finding Your Feet Amputee Charity (@FYF_Charity) August 9, 2018
The free screening event was held at the Glasgow Film Theatre.
One of the attendees, 25-year-old Paul Johnson, said: “Although I’m a double amputee, I don’t shy away from any challenges so this film was refreshing.
“Hopefully Dwayne Johnson’s character in Skyscraper can raise awareness that limb loss doesn’t mean you have to give up.
“Seeing him pop up on the screen and shoutout Finding Your Feet was unbelievable. The charity has helped me a lot, so to see them getting this kind of recognition is amazing and they totally deserve it.”
The organisation run over 50 clubs per month in Glasgow, Dundee, Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Leeds free of charge which include swimming, skiing, climbing, gardening, crafting, pilates and fitness
They also host regular ‘Ampu-teas’ sessions where the amputee community can meet up for a coffee and chat.
For more information, visit www.findingyourfeet.net/
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