Double amputee rides for a cause
Avid biker, Gerda du Toit, is traveling 4 000 kilometres across the country to raise funds for children without limbs.
TWO years ago Gerda du Toit, a passionate biker and avid adventurer, lost both her legs to diabetes. After the amputation she was confined to a wheelchair for four months and thought that her life on the road was over.
However, earlier this year she not only found herself back in the biker’s saddle, but also taking part in a 4 000 kilometre mission, from Johannesburg to Cape Town and back, to raise funds for children without limbs.
As part of the Kirsty Watts Foundation’s Riding for a Limb campaign, the mother of two said she was hoping to raise over R2-million, which would be used to have 100 children fitted with prosthetic limbs.
What’s more, through the epic cross-country adventure the 47-year-old will be setting a new Guinness World Record as the first double amputee in the world to take on such a challenge.
On Wednesday the Northglen News caught up with Du Toit as she and her convoy stopped off in uMhlanga. Thus far Du Toit and her escorts from the Christian Motorcyclists Association have traveled about 3 700 kilometres.
“It has been an incredible journey, not only from a perspective on the road but also the camaraderie from the biker community. I am feeling so humbled by the opportunity to raise awareness and funds for the children in need,” she said
According to Du Toit, many children lose their limbs to cancer and the number of children being diagnosed with the disease is increasing. Some children, she said, can wait up to ten years to receive their prosthetic limbs, which can cost up to R20 000 each.
“To see them go through the trauma of chemotherapy and then to face a life without legs, if they are lucky to survive, is heart wrenching. This project is all about giving these children a second chance and the gift of walking,” she said.
‘When you are in a wheelchair simple things, such as brushing your teeth, going to the toilet and even doing the dishes becomes challenging. It robs you of your independence,” she added.
The Kirsty Watts Foundation is a registered non-profit organisation, which has been helping to uplift children around the country for the past six years. The organisation has already provided 50 children with prosthetic limbs.
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