WATCH: Alberton boy with dystrophy finally gets new wheelchair

Zander Teubes, aka ‘Zan the Man’, finally got a much-needed wheelchair.

The Alberton boy was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), which causes skeletal and heart muscle weakness and worsens with time.

Due to this condition, Zan the Man relies on an electronic wheelchair to move around the house. After his diagnosis at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Zan’s parents, Liezel and Zach Marais, sought help from the public for medical costs.

They set up a BackABuddy fundraising campaign, which helped cover some medical costs and allowed his family to buy Zan an electronic wheelchair.

However, Zan the Man has grown taller since then and outgrew his wheelchair, prompting his family to rally again to fundraise for a new one.

The Marais put up Zan’s old wheelchair for sale, set up a GoFundMe account for public donations and promoted the campaign on social media, which finally yielded positive results for Zan the Man.

Kristy Goncalves, a campaigner helping Zan the Man, posted on Facebook, “Zan has finally received his wheelchair and couldn’t be happier. On behalf of Liezel Marais, Zan the Man, Shireen Wessels, Andre Goncalves, and I, we are beyond grateful for the incredible support from family, friends and even strangers from all over. Whether you donated to our campaign, shared posts or helped spread the word, each of you played a crucial role in making this happen,” read the post.

Goncalves thanked the wheelchair company Wheelchairs on The Run for “reaching out, offering their services at a discounted rate, and customising the wheelchair to suit Zan’s preferences.

“You’ve done an outstanding job. My heart is full knowing how many people came together to make this happen,” concluded the post.