Three wheelchairs for boy with muscular dystrophy

Organisers described a recent fundraiser to buy a wheelchair for a Laerskool Wonderboom-Suid learner with a rare medical disorder as a “huge success”.

Donovan Bodenstein was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy in 2017.

About one out of every 3 500 boys world-wide are born with the condition.

The main goal of the fundraiser was to supply Donovan with a wheelchair.

“We were actually able to get three wheelchairs,” said Jurgen Green, a teacher at Bodenstein’s school.

“Now he has a wheelchair for when he’s at his mother’s house and another one for when he’s at his father’s house. The third wheelchair will be donated to another school.”

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The other school has been donated to the Alma school for children with disabilities.

“We also managed to raise about R8 000,” said Green.

The school also thanked learner, Willem Espach, who always pushed Donovan around in his wheelchair at the school.

The hand tennis competition, which was one of the activities during the fundraiser, exceeded all expectations.

Green said the R8 000 raised will be used to help Donovan.

“There is a possibility that Donovan will be transferred to the Nuwe Hoop School,” he said.

“We would like to use some of the money to cover a part of his parents’ costs.”

Donovan was born on 30 May 2006 as a “fit and healthy” baby, his dad Lourens said.

“During his infancy, we did not notice anything – he was like any normal toddler boy,” he said.

Lourens said Donovan was almost nine years old when they first noticed something was amiss.

“He struggled to do simple tasks like climbing the stairs,” he said.

“Donovan also could not stand up from the floor like other normal children, but he never complained of being sore or uncomfortable.”

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Donovan was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy in 2017.

“He goes to the pediatric muscle clinic every six months,” he said.

“It is also imperative that Donovan goes for a heart sonar once a year. Because this disease affects all the muscles in the body, it also affects the heart muscle.”

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