Hundreds benefit from Rotarian generosity
On Tuesday morning, Ayesha became one of 23 children diagnosed with cerebral palsy to benefit from Rotary Newcastle’s Customised Wheelchair Project
Yunus Hansa and his wife were married for five years, before they were blessed with the birth of their only child.
They named her Ayesha, derived from the Arabic word for ‘alive and well’. Yunus is the very picture of a proud dad, as he animatedly describes how observant Ayesha is of her surroundings, how clever she is, and how she will happily gurgle in ‘baby talk’ if she likes you, but remains absolutely silent if she doesn’t. To him, Ayesha is everything.
A prolonged and difficult birth, causing lack of oxygen to Ayesha’s brain, resulted in her being born with cerebral palsy.
This condition will likely mean she may never walk or develop the language skills necessary to properly speak.
Yet Yunus is still grateful, just for the opportunity to be Ayesha’s father. On Tuesday morning, Ayesha became one of 23 children diagnosed with cerebral palsy to benefit from Rotary Newcastle’s Customised Wheelchair Project – a R700 000 international collaboration of resources which will bring these children closer to improved health and quality of life, independence, social inclusion, opportunities to learn and grow and to one day, becoming participating members of the community.
For now, many of the parents and guardians of children who received wheelchairs, confided they were happy to see their children sitting upright, and being in a better position to observe and interact with their environment.
According to research obtained by Rotary Majuba (Newcastle) president, Christo Brockmann, roughly 5 200 people in the Newcastle region (about 10 per cent of the population) have a mobility disability, and 2 600 children have mobility disabilities.
During its wheelchair drive of 2017, Rotarians raised funds to distribute more than 100 wheelchairs to people living with disabilities in Newcastle and the surrounding areas.
However, it became evident from this initiative that simply acquiring the standard devices and distributing them was not enough, and it was at this stage the club began seeking the means to make a more meaningful impact.
Through its combined efforts with the Uhambo Foundation for Children with Disabilities, the Rotary Club of Fort Collins (USA) and wheelchair specialists, Shonaquip, Rotary Majuba has not only facilitated the supply of customised wheelchairs suited to each child’s individual medical condition, but will also see the children receive the holistic and clinical support they need, by building the capacity of healthcare workers, caregivers and members of the community through training and workshops.
In doing so, this project will assist with increasing the knowledge and skills of medical professionals and family members, as well as with reducing the stigma of living with a disability.
Uhambo Seating Practitioner, Maria Britz, who travelled with her team from Cape Town to ensure that every wheelchair was perfectly customised to its recipient, has more than 40 years experience as a medical professional.
“I worked as a nurse for the state for 30 years and I have worked with Uhambo for 12 years. I have always enjoyed working with children with disabilities and when my own grandchild was born with the incorrect alignment of the leg, I was able to use my knowledge to help her. Today, she is able to run around because she received that help. This is why childhood intervention is so important when it comes dealing with disabilities.”
Occupational Therapist at Newcastle Provincial Hospital, Claire Samuels said it was amazing to finally be able to assist patients, some of whom have been waiting for wheelchairs since 2017 due to backlogs with the Department of Health.
“A wheelchair is something that seems like a small thing but it makes such a big difference. Now, these children will be able to feel like a part of the family and they will be able to interact with the world. Yesterday, a grandfather told me he was finally able to properly look his grandchild in the eye, when a wheelchair made it possible for the child to be seated upright for the first time,” said Samuels.
The Physiotherapy Department at Newcastle Provincial has secured larger, brighter rooms at the hospital premises and is in the process of making the rooms fun, colourful and appealing to children. Residents who would like to donate toys and other learning aids can drop of these items at the Physio Department.
“Many of the children who come to us for treatment have a disability that causes them significant discomfort, so we engage with them with toys in order to encourage them to participate in therapy.
“All children learn through play, so we want to have variety to toys to stimulate the senses to help them develop through sound, touch, smell, and sight,” explained Samuels. Yunus, who frequently takes Ayesha to the hospital for treatment, commended the staff for their help and compassion.
“We have worked with Claire and I also want to thank the physiotherapist, Sphamandla Khumalo. Regular physio is so important to exercise the muscles and Spha is tops.”
Brockmann said the project was a humbling experience for members of Rotary, who were moved by the passion among the physiotherapists and occupational therapists who arrived to have the children fitted for a specialised wheelchair.
“This is not a career that you take on lightly. Clearly, you have to have the compassion and the passion for working with children with disabilities and we are grateful for the opportunity to work with these amazing people,” concluded Brockmann.
ALSO READ: Rotary hands over another wheelchair
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