A DURBAN North resident said she can’t even begin to express her gratitude after receiving a new set of wheels. Two years ago Lisa Nell’s life took a turn for the worst when she was diagnosed with diabetes which led to her right leg being amputated.
After having both her legs for 46-years, and then having to learn how to move around in a wheelchair, Nell thought things couldn’t get any worse. Unfortunately for her they did. Nell’s right leg was amputated in 2016 and towards the end of 2017 she was told that her left and only remaining leg would also have to be removed. The only good news for Lisa was that even though it had started wearing out, her wheelchair was still functional.
“I was born with Marfan Syndrome (MFS) which is a genetic disorder of connective tissue that affects areas such as lungs, eyes, the covering of spinal cord and bones. When most people learn this they assume that it’s the reason I don’t have legs. However it was diabetes which compelled for both my legs to be removed from below the knee,” said Nell.
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As expected – after her operations Nell’s life changed. One of the major changes was that she was having difficulties finding a job.
“In this day and age no one really wants to employ a 48-year-old woman with no legs. If it wasn’t for the Golden Hours Family Market allowing me to have a stall where I sell previously-loved clothes I don’t know how I’d survive,” she said.
Depending only on the income she makes from the market, Nell could not even afford most of her basic needs, including getting herself a new wheelchair. Fortunately for her – a Good Samaritan came to a rescue, gifting her with a brand new wheelchair.
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Little did Nell know that Anna Accolla, the outgoing president of the Catholic Women’t League of the Our Lady of Fatima Parish was working behind the scenes with the QuadPara Association of South Africa (QASA) to secure a new wheelchair for her. Accolla had heard QASA joining forces with the Polystyrene Packaging Council who facilitate the beneficial Bread Tags For Wheels project which involves recycling breadtags in return for wheelchairs.
Once the bread tags have been bought by the recyclers, they are re-processed into seedling trays and picture frames. For every 1 000 000 bread tags recycled, three wheelchairs are distributed.
What’s more a minimum of 200kgs of bread tags and 450kgs of beverage tops is required to get a wheelchair.
“QASA has a programme where people can get brand new wheelchairs by collecting bread tags and beverage tops. I had been collecting since 2017, and only recently I decided to submit what I had collected. I asked around and found Lisa to be the most deserving candidate to get this new chair,” said Accolla.
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She said,”It was the Clarendon Road Neigbhourhood watch which introduced me to Lisa. When I contacted Sue Martin – who is the cordinator for QASA, she was very helpful and was willing to go the extra mile to ensure that Lisa gets the help she needed. They say we make a living by what we get but we make a life by what we give. As the festive season approaches, it’s good to be mindful of the less fortunate.”
Nell was simply over the moon. “I have no words. What Anna did to me was the best birthday and Christmas gift I could have ever asked for.”
Nell received her new wheels two days before her birthday which was on 1 December.
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