Living in a chair – it is not the end of the road

BEING confined to a wheelchair might seem like a very restricted and dependent lifestyle. But Durban North resident, Lisa Nell (44), and Phoenix-based resident, Nathaniel Pillay (37), have, through theirLiving in a Chair Foundation, proven that this is definitely not the case.

Nell’s life was spun into a nightmare in February last year when she accidentally stood on a piece of glass. At first she thought nothing of it, but within a matter of days doctors were forced to amputate her leg.

Pillay’s ordeal began eight years ago when he was involved in a motor vehicle accident. While he was still able to walk after the crash, the incident had severely damaged his spine.

Then, five years after the accident, he bent down to play with his dog and heard a snapping sound. He blacked out, and when he came around doctors gave him the devastating news – he would never walk again. The duo met on a social networking site and bonded over their circumstances. Soon they arranged to meet for a cup of coffee. At this fateful meeting the two decided that they wanted to join forces to help the less fortunate.

Their aim, said Pillay, was not only motivate and inspire other disabled and wheelchair-bound people but also to feed many hungry children in the area.

“We believe that every person deserves to have the opportunity to better their life. And we want to help them, be it a hungry child or someone who has lost mobility in his legs and just needs to regain his self-esteem and sense of worth. You can live an independent and meaningful life,” he said.

To date, they have donated two wheelchairs to those who desperately needed them and are in the process of donating three more. Every Friday the duo feeds 1 600 children from various schools in the area. “Many of these children have no other food sources. When there is no food they stop attending school, which jeopardises their education,” said Nell.

The saddest part, said Nell, was that 60 per cent of the children don’t eat the food they receive. They keep is and take it home for their families or as food for the weekend.

Nell and Pillay access these rural schools by pushing themselves in their wheelchairs – Pillay sometimes even catches a taxi. They also have a driver who helps them transport the food to the schools.

Funding for the projects primarily comes straight from the duo’s pockets, and while they have three main donors they are hoping to increase their reach with the help of additional food donations.

Contact Nell on 031 502 2123 or info@livinginachair.org.