Paint Chester’s perfect vision
Van Zyl yearns to be a teenager who can go to school, interact and play sports.
Chester Van Zyl (16) is long overdue for a corneal transplant due to a degenerative eye condition known as Keratoconus.
The condition hampers him from partaking in activities that he desires to like soccer.
Van Zyl was also taken out of school by his mother as he could no longer cope.
“It was a very difficult decision but I saw by him going to school, it was doing him more harm than good,” Rene Russel, his mother said.
She alleges that Van Zyl was ill-treated by teachers and he was bullied by his peers.
He also couldn’t cope at mainstream schools and needs to be sent to a special school.
Van Zyl yearns to be a teenager who can go to school, interact and play sports.
“My condition affects me a lot, just the fact that I’m not in school…I don’t have a social life.
“I have many dreams I want to achieve like drive a car, play soccer but I can’t do those things if I don’t have proper eyesight,” Van Zyl said.
He dreams of becoming a car mechanic.
He has 20% vision in his right eye and 60% in his left but his sight is deteriorating resulting in pressure on his stronger eye.
“He needs the operation because there is more strain on the left eye where he now gets infections,” Russel said.
Van Zyl is on a waiting list for a corneal transplant but by the time he goes for the operation, he may be blind already.
His family needs to raise R45 000 for the transplant and R10 000 for aftercare treatment and are pleading for assistance.
To help Van Zyl regain his eyesight, contact Russel on 071 728 4335, renemandyvanzyl@gmail.com or Isobel Graham on 072 497 3978 and isobel04graham@gmail.com
