Making a difference in someone’s life is what Ben Nortje had in mind when he cycled for about 1 500 kilometres to raise funds for Jayden Viviers. Jayden is a seven-year-old boy who has Down’s syndrome and is a learner at Estralita School. The funds raised will be used to improve Jayden’s life, ensure that he progresses in life and has the future he deserves. Nortje cycled from Ellisras to Durban. His journey started on February 29 and during the fund-raising, he was covering a staggering 100 kilometres per day.

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During his trip, he stopped in Lydenburg and had a chance to spend time with Jayden. Jayden is being raised by his mother, Valencia Viviers, and they live with his grandmother. The funds raised will also help Jayden and Valencia attend the Family Hope Centre Evaluation in the USA for an assessment this year. This is apparently a life-changing programme that would evaluate Jayden and educate Valencia to better understand and overcome their unique challenges. Jayden recently had a heart procedure done to close a hole in his heart. It was a great success. Nortje is also an inspiration in his own right. On February 2019 he had open-heart surgery and, despite undergoing this operation just a year ago, still embarked on this trip to help raise funds for Jayden.

Nortje cycles for Brain Child Fund and was inspired to do more for children with special needs. It is through this organisation that he learned about little Jayden. “I had this plan to cycle around South Africa and I asked them to give me someone to help. They connected me with Jayden. This was my second cycle for Brain Child Fund.” Brain Child Fund was established to provide a support network for brain-related special-needs families, helping them to move forward from merely surviving, to thrive.

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Nortje’s first trip was from Port Elizabeth to Cape Town and the second from Lephalale to Upington. When asked to share more about himself, Nortje said, “I do not really know what to tell people about me. But If I had an opportunity to say something, I would just like to thank everyone who contributed to making this possible. And to thank everyone for every donation making this worthwhile,” he said.

Valencia said she is grateful for what Nortje is doing for her son. “At first I was blown away and I could not believe that there were really people out there who would want to help me with my son. Knowing that there is someone out there willing to assist us makes me realise that people do care,” she said. She added that it is not easy to make ends meet as a single mother raising a child with special needs. “I think other parents should educate their children about kids with special needs. Not all people are willing to help, because I think most people are uneducated about kids with special needs. Although a special-needs child needs more attention than other children, there is a lot of learning curves and obstacles to overcome,” she explained. He is asking the public to join him and Brain Child Fund in making a difference in Jayden’s world. There is also an account on Backabuddy.

Visit www.backabuddy.co.za for more information on how to become a part of this inspiring project.