Chris Boyle (65) has been a quadriplegic for 48 years.
He has surpassed the life expectancy given to him by health professionals (which was 12 years after the incident).
Boyle has been wheelchair-bound for almost five decades, as a result of a freak accident that occurred in 1967, when he was 16.
He fell off a foofie slide/zip line, landing on his back and breaking his spine.
He underwent numerous surgeries and was in hospital for three years.
Boyle currently has syringomyelia (a chronic progressive disease, which creates cysts on the spine), as well as Charcot joint disease, that leads to the deterioration of weight-bearing joints, which resulted in the amputation of his right arm.
Despite being wheelchair-bound and having only partial movement in his left arm, Boyle says he tries to live his life to the full and never strays from his mantra: “If you want to get something out of life, you’re going to have to put a hell of a lot more into it”.
In order to stay mobile, Boyle needs to have two rehabilitation wheelchairs at all times, and with one broken and the other one needing a maintenance service, he stays home in fear of losing his working wheelchair.
“I’m too scared to go out in case I hit potholes with this chair; what do I do?” he asked.
“I don’t have anything to fall back on.”
Boyle walks his dog, Pringle, while he sits in the chair and it walks alongside.
He is now trying to raise R400 000 for a new rehabilitation wheelchair, in order to replace his broken one and regain his confidence to interact in society again.
“It’s more than a wheelchair, it’s an extremely sophisticated piece of equipment, a mobile life support system.” he said.
“Having another chair will give me the confidence to go out again and allow me to worry less.
“If I don’t have a chair I’m buggered.”
Individuals or businesses interested in assisting Boyle can contact John Chapman, the fund-raising coordinator, at 083 378 3477.
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