Local resident uses her pain to inspire global community

Fourways resident and quadruple amputee, Shaninlea Visser recently launched her short documentary and inspiring talk show to share her challenging life journey with the world.

Many attended the event to be part of the screening of the inspiring first episode of The Shan Show. In the first episode, she interviewed Costa Carastavrakis, a recovering drug addict, writer and author of the book I am Costa: From Meth to Marathon.

Visser became a quadruple amputee due to septicemia with disseminated intravascular coagulation (a condition affecting the blood’s ability to clot and stop bleeding) after she was bitten by a mongoose when attending a school function in Port Elizabeth in 2017.

After the incident, Visser went into a coma and spent weeks in the intensive care unit and had to go through almost 70 surgeries to save her life. On 6 February 2017, Visser’s legs were amputated and her hands were amputated two days later.

Speaking at the launch, Visser said the aim of her documentary was to inspire and motivate other people going through challenging times in their lives.

“I came out of the coma with strength and positivity that can only come from above. After all this trauma and tragedy, I remained positive and believe that ‘I can’t’ isn’t a word for me,” she said.

“In the creation of this documentary and The Shan Show, I want to share my story, and build a platform where people can share their incredible stories, motivate and inspire other people.

“In my show, I interviewed incredible and positive people who have overcome trauma and hardship. I only want to make the world a better place, and use their story and testament to inspire others.”

She added that funds raised through the show would be channelled to The Shaninlea Visser Special Disability Trust which would help her buy artificial legs.

The show will be shown on Alfastream SA YouTube Channel and Shan’s Facebook page www.facebook.com/shanlivingherlife

Details: tam@tama-rynnicholson.co.za