By Busi Vilakazi
Tyler McLaughlin from Bez Valley is in need of financial assistance with her medical bills.
Tyler had a grade four stroke which caused hemiplegic cerebral palsy when she was 11 days old. She now also suffers from scoliosis – a medical condition whereby a person’s spine has a sideways curve.
Tyler (17) is joyful and full of life despite the pain she has to endure every day.
The EXPRESS visited her and the family at their home. She welcomed us with a big smile while the family was getting ready for work and school.
Her father Shelton McLaughlin said she is the happiest girl and always finds ways to make the family smile.
“She has not allowed her condition to get her down. She finds joy in everything,” he said.
Her parents said it has been a difficult journey because of the special diets and the constant medical procedures she has to go through.
“We go to all the operations necessary and never give up hope. We want her to be comfortable and for her to be able to enjoy life even with her condition,” said her mother Ursula.
Tyler has had several operations one of which was a hip operation. The triple osteotomy was unsuccessful.
Another hip operation was performed and doctors put in a plate, but she was in pain for six months as the plate kept cutting into her pelvis. “We needed to wait until the bone fused before they could remove the plate,” said Ursula.
She said, “It has been a difficult journey for us as a family to see her in pain. It’s difficult because she also takes a lot of medication to manage the pain. I take her to have physiotherapy but she comes back in pain so we are now looking for the second option which is aquatic therapy. It’s done in a heated pool. The warmth relaxes muscles, assists movement and decreases pain.”
Tyler needs a special wheelchair which will help twist her back and ease the pressure on her ribs and lung.
The scoliosis has caused her body to twist so her ribs are on her hip, which is extremely painful.
This has caused her to be able to breathe from her one lung only which requires the other lung to work harder.
“We cannot afford her other medical needs. The medical aid only covers R59 000 – rest we have to cover.
“We cannot afford the special wheelchair she needs. It incorporates a custom moulded corrective spinal alignment system. It costs R85 025 and we don’t have that kind of money.
“We already have to cover her other needs. We really are financially constrained,” explained Shelton.
He said they would appreciate donations of any kind to help cover expenses.
“We just want our daughter to be able to enjoy the little things in life. This wheelchair would make a difference and will also give her more mobility,” said Shelton.
Contact Shelton McLaughlin on 074 193 5714.
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