Alberton woman raises funds for new assistance dog after losing loyal companion

Born blind and raised in a family where her independence was often restricted, Alberton resident Sunidhi Jeram has experienced loss, discrimination, illness and personal struggles.

Yet, through it all, her love for animals and determination to live independently have remained constant.

For almost 20 years, two Labrador guide dogs, Raisin and Valiant, walked alongside her, helping her navigate not only physical spaces but also some of the most difficult chapters of her life.

Today, she is learning to navigate life without Valiant, affectionately known as ‘Mr V’, who passed away in October after being part of her life for 11 years.

His absence has left a significant emptiness, but Jeram is determined not to let the loss undo the progress she has made. She is now fundraising to obtain a specially trained assistance dog through Assistance Dogs South Africa.

Childhood determination

Jeram describes herself as an adventurous child who did not allow blindness to prevent her from enjoying childhood.

“It was kind of normal in a sense, but it wasn’t. I was kind of a naughty kid. I was a tomboy. I always played with boys instead of girls,” she recalled.

She remembers sitting on rooftops and playing with cats, enjoying music and participating in games as best she could.

However, growing up blind also meant missing out on certain experiences that other children might have taken for granted.

She remembers an occasion when her mother, who was a schoolteacher, took her to one of the preschool classes. When some children told her there was a fish nearby, she asked whether she could feel it.
The teacher agreed, but Jeram ended up squashing the fish.

It was an unusual childhood memory, but one that reflects the challenges of experiencing a world where so much information is communicated visually.

“You miss things like that, especially seeing fish and those kinds of things,” she said.

Her education was another challenge. Although her grandfather, who was a school principal, encouraged her to attend school, her mother was reluctant to send her.

Jeram eventually started school at the age of nine and attended a boarding school for blind learners in Durban.

Being away from her parents and travelling home by taxi during school holidays was initially difficult, but she gradually adjusted to the routine.

Despite starting school late, she was double-promoted to higher grades. However, the gaps in her early education affected her mathematics.

She continued until Standard 8, but her mother later removed her from school because she needed help at home.

Leaving school meant leaving behind her friends and the teenage experiences she had looked forward to, including attending a school dance and maintaining a relationship with a boyfriend.

Her grandfather, however, had always believed that she should receive an education and become independent.

In 2001, Jeram enrolled for a switchboard operating course despite her mother’s objections. She passed with distinction, an achievement that demonstrated her determination to pursue opportunities beyond the restrictions she had experienced growing up.

Finding independence

Jeram’s journey with guide dogs began in 2005 when she received Raisin, a black Labrador from the SA Guide-Dogs Association for the Blind.

Her husband had introduced her to the organisation and helped her complete the application process and attend the necessary appointments.

She remembers the feeling of knowing that she would finally be able to move around with greater independence.

“It was actually liberating, just knowing that when I get home, I’m going to be independent,” she said.
However, that excitement was accompanied by uncertainty about how her community would receive the dog.

At the time, Jeram lived in an Indian community where many people were unfamiliar with guide dogs. She encountered discrimination, including being refused entry into shops because she was accompanied by Raisin.

She sometimes had to stand outside holding placards asking people to help her collect her shopping. Some people even mistook her for someone begging for money.

The experience was particularly difficult because she simply wanted to carry out ordinary daily activities without having to depend on someone else.

Despite the challenges, Raisin became an important part of her everyday life.

The dog helped her become more confident and comfortable interacting with other people. Jeram said that before having guide dogs, she was often reluctant to approach people and would rather sit alone.

That began to change as she became more confident moving around with Raisin and later Valiant.

Raisin was also beside her during some of her most difficult experiences, including her battle with cancer in 2014.

She accompanied Jeram to chemotherapy sessions and sat with her in the oncology unit, providing comfort during treatment.

Jeram also remembers Raisin being present when her mother died. At the time, she was in hospital in Pretoria with her mother when she received the devastating news.

As a blind person, she had been speaking to her mother without realising that she had already passed away.

It was an extremely difficult experience, and Raisin’s presence afterwards became a source of comfort.
The dog also played a special role at Jeram’s wedding, where Raisin gave her away in the absence of her uncle, who was unable to fulfil the role at the time.

For Jeram, Raisin was part of the family and shared moments that extended far beyond her responsibilities as a guide dog.

Companion through struggles

When Raisin retired, Valiant joined Jeram’s life in 2015.

The two dogs had very different personalities. Jeram described Raisin as energetic and adventurous, while Valiant was a dedicated working dog who was always attentive to his surroundings.

“He would watch wherever I went. He would be careful and make sure I didn’t step into anything,” she said.

Valiant became particularly important during her mental health and addiction recovery journey.

Jeram has been open about living with bipolar disorder, depression, panic attacks and addiction. She has also battled an eating disorder, gambling addiction and alcohol addiction.

In 2014, she experienced her first major breakdown and received treatment at Akeso. Although Raisin accompanied her, the facility could not accommodate the dog.

Valiant later accompanied her to a recovery centre, where he became a source of comfort not only to Jeram but also to other people receiving treatment.

She spent three months at the centre working towards recovery.

She explained that people sometimes assume that individuals living with disabilities do not experience addiction or other personal struggles.

However, her experience at the recovery centre showed her that addiction affects people from different backgrounds, and that people often cope with similar struggles in different ways.

Jeram said she eventually reached a point where she realised she could not continue living as she had been.

She wanted to get clean, rebuild her life and regain control of her circumstances. Her recovery remains an ongoing journey, particularly following Valiant’s death.

“The journey is not one day at a time. For me it’s one second at a time,” she said.

She explained that there are difficult moments, particularly at night, when she has to remind herself to keep going and sometimes reach out to a friend or her husband for support.

For her, the dogs provided a form of companionship that was different from human relationships.

She said being able to pet them and have them close during difficult moments made a significant difference to her emotional well-being.

Living without Mr V

After 11 years together, saying goodbye to Valiant has been one of Jeram’s most difficult experiences.

The loss has affected both her emotional well-being and her ability to move around independently.

She said she sometimes still finds herself asking her friend where Mr V is, particularly when she is out shopping.

Without him, she has had to adjust to relying on security guards and other people for assistance in places where she previously moved around with confidence.

The experience also brings back the reality of losing him.

“The hardest adjustment is the companionship. Just knowing that he’s not there anymore,” she said.

Even the everyday routines they shared are now reminders of his absence.

Despite the grief, Jeram continues to honour the memories of both her guide dogs through a Facebook page called Raisin’s World.

She started the page after facing challenges in obtaining another traditional guide dog when Valiant died.
She said she was informed that she did not meet the requirements because of her bipolar disorder and the physical demands associated with traditional guide-dog work.

Raisin’s World has since become a platform for disability awareness, education and sharing stories about animals.

Her African grey parrot, Moo, is one of the page’s most recognisable characters.

Jeram creates educational content on different subjects, including blindness, autism and invisible disabilities, with Moo narrating many of the posts.

Through the page, she hopes to challenge assumptions about people living with disabilities and encourage others to be more understanding.

She believes people should take the time to get to know someone rather than make assumptions about what they can or cannot do.

“They shouldn’t judge people. They should get to know them first because at the end of the day we’re all people first,” she said.

New beginning

Jeram is now working towards obtaining a specially trained assistance dog that can support her with more than traditional guide-dog duties.

She explained that the medication she takes affects her concentration and makes it difficult for her to meet the physical requirements of a traditional guide dog.

Through Assistance Dogs South Africa, she hopes to obtain a dog trained to help with mobility, retrieve dropped objects, assist with daily routines and provide grounding support during panic attacks and overwhelming situations.

She also hopes the dog can help her wake up for work and interrupt compulsive urges, including moments when she experiences the temptation to gamble.

Assistance Dogs South Africa has reduced the cost of obtaining the dog from R60 000 to R25 000.

Jeram has therefore adjusted her fundraising target to R25 000, with the money intended to cover the cost of obtaining the dog. She said she would cover additional veterinary expenses herself.

She is also preparing to undergo an assessment with the organisation to establish her mobility needs and suitability for an assistance dog.

The campaign is called Bring Buddy Home. Although the name was inspired by a little dog she previously owned, Jeram understands that the organisation may match her with a dog that already has a name.

For her, the goal is not simply to replace Valiant. It is to find a new companion who can help her regain some of the confidence and security she has lost.

She hopes the Alberton community will support her campaign and help make that possible.

Reflecting on what keeps her going, Jeram said Raisin’s World gives her something meaningful to focus on while she continues to work through her grief and recovery.

She also holds on to the hope that reaching her fundraising goal will allow her to welcome another assistance dog into her life.

After years of having a loyal companion beside her, she is ready to take another step towards independence.

Residents who would like to support Jeram’s campaign can contribute through BackaBuddy’s Bring Buddy Home: One Blind Girl, One Brave Dog, One Big Dream campaign.

To support Jeram, visit the BackaBuddy campaign page.