‘Please help me be mobile again’
"I can't go anywhere anymore, even to the shops on my own..."
A simple task that most able-bodied people take for granted, like going to the shop to buy bread, has now become a memory for Edward Zwane from Extension One in Protea Glen.
Zwane who is in a wheelchair, and has been for a while now is pleading for residents to help him with donations to further purchase a new one.
According to Lethlogonolo Ngakntsi, a quadriplegic and a supervisor at the Tokologo Self-Help Centre Extension One, five years is the longest time that quads should keep a wheelchair before having to acquire a new one.
“Mr Zwane is currently in his fifth year with this wheelchair and it’s no longer in the best working condition.
“The wheelchair he’s using now is finished, the wheels have worn out now and we are pleading with the community to help us buy a new one for him, like businessmen and whoever is willing to help us make mobility easier for him,” said Ngakntsi
.
At the moment Zwane is using a power assist wheelchair which needs only a minimal effort to operate or travel long distances.
He would need the same that can be customised according to his needs and overcome the daily challenges he faces to meet his unique and challenging needs.
According to the clintonrivermedical blog, the power assist wheelchair automatically adjusts to the surfaces a user is travelling over and delivers added force when a struggle is sensed.
The automatic brakes also help the users gain control going downhill.
At the moment Zwane is limited when it comes to mobility due to the state of the wheels.
“I can’t go anywhere anymore, even to the shops on my own anymore due to the state it’s in.
“I have to depend on my family to do things for me, I can’t even attend church anymore because I’m limited in my movement,” said Zwane.
A grandfather of three, a father and a husband, Zwane seeks to be able to do things on his own and to be able even though he’s a quadriplegic.
Ngakntsi explained how going the government institution route may prolong the process as Zwane’s chair has already reached its expiration date.
“We may even have wait for another 5 years because there are a lot of people sitting on a waiting list to get a wheelchair, so we are trying other avenues to get it sooner rather than later,” he said.
Any willing residents or business people who would like to contribute to donating a new power assist wheelchair for Zwane can contact him directly on his cell phone number 083 729 5842.
An alternative number can be the self-help centre number for the disabled which is 011 987 1005 to reach Lethlogonolo Ngakntsi.
“I’m really struggling. I’m pleading for residents to please help me in my quest for a new wheelchair.
“I would really appreciate it and be grateful eternally if there could be that one person who could help me get this wheelchair,” said Zwane.
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