“Disability is not the end of life, but a different path; one that can still be full of purpose and joy.”

These are the words of 78-year-old Isabel Visser, a resident at Cedar Manor Advanced Care Home in Boksburg, whose life is a testament to courage, faith, and resilience as we celebrated World Disability Day on December 3.

Born on a farm in Magaliesburg and later living in Springs, Visser spent decades unknowingly living with a hole in her heart, diabetes, neuropathy, and, later in life, paralysis.

Yet her journey is one of hope, acceptance, and unwavering positivity. Today, wheelchair-bound and unable to feel her legs, she continues to face each day with remarkable optimism.

“I was born on a farm in Magaliesburg, Krugersdorp. I had a hole in my heart, but back then, doctors didn’t check for things like that. Every time I got sick, they said I had pneumonia or bronchitis, and I got injections, I hated injections,” she recalled.

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It wasn’t until she was 50 years old that she finally discovered her heart condition.
“I didn’t notice it before. I just went on with my daily life. I used to work as a meter reader and later worked as a night-shift nurse for 17 years because I didn’t want to leave my children alone during the day,” she said.

Visser’s health challenges persisted.
“I had neuropathy in my feet for a long time. Eventually, I said to the doctor, ‘Send me to the neurologist, because there must be something wrong with my brain.’ That’s when they tested me and told me I was diabetic.
“I had it for some time without knowing, but now it’s controlled,” she said.

Six years ago, she said she faced a frightening medical emergency.
“One night I just couldn’t stay off the toilet. I told my children, ‘I want to see the doctor.’ My blood pressure was over 200. They told me my red and white blood cells were eating each other up. I had drips and was on dialysis, and I had to go to the neuro ward for weekly treatment for six weeks.

“I still go for treatment now, every year,” she said.

Nearly three years ago, Visser moved to Cedar Manor.
“I lived with one of my daughters, but she had to go to work early and the caregiver came later. I was alone and couldn’t manage. So I landed up here. I can’t complain. The treatment is good, I am okay, I am fine, I am happy to be alive.”

She says she would not have managed without faith and acceptance.
“God put me in this situation knowing very well what I can handle. Everything happens for a reason. As long as I am happy and alive, and kicking.”
Her message for World Disability Day is: “I may be in a wheelchair, but I still race the clock to my favourite tea! Stay positive and laugh every day.”

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