Local family makes emotional appeal for help

IT’S almost midday, and in the Nkwanyana house Teddy gingerly gets off his rocker. He lays out a worn out, brown, shaggy mat with meticulous care on the ground. He looks at his sister, Winnie, and gently lifts her out of a chair and places her on the mat. Then, bow-backed, he begins to drag her out the door, something akin to a magic carpet ride, except there is very little happiness permeating the household.

Teddy is 77 years old, and for the last few years this is how he has had to transport his immobile sister (72) to get her places. If he has to get her to the toilet, he has to drag the carpet up a staircase and then carry her, almost like a baby, and place her on the loo.

Getting her to bed and to the clinic also prove quite challenging. Last week, Teddy and his wife, Dora (also in her seventies) made an emotional appeal to the Northglen News for help. They are appealing to local residents who are able to assist them by donating a wheelchair and adult nappies.

When she was two years old Winnie suffered a debilitating stroke. This led to her being totally dependent on her brother, and in the last few years has meant she cannot walk or support her own weight. While the local resident was still able to go to school, she struggled to walk and the problem is now worse for the 72-year-old.

“It’s not easy,” says a resigned Teddy, “but she is my sister, I have to help her. This wasn’t how her life always was. Despite the stroke, she was still able to go to school and walk. Now though, in her later life, it has become increasingly difficult to carry her upstairs or get her to the clinic. She cannot support her own body weight and her mobility is affected.

“She has also become incontinent, and sometimes I cannot carry her to the toilet fast enough. So our routine every day is to drag her around on this brown mat. She often wakes up about eight to ten times a night and calls out for help. However, my age has also meant I’m losing strength and I’m not able to carry her or drag her around. I’m appealing to residents can help us out with a wheelchair or adult nappies. We need help, I cannot do this on my own,” he said.

Teddy has also tried to get his sister into an old age home, but so far has not been able to afford it.
If you would like to help, contact Teddy on 072 873 8937.