Nellmapius woman a real-life hero
Lesego Giveness Alexander (33) has been helping her community with minor and real life-threatening situations since 2013.
A Nellmapius woman, who is a qualified ambulance assistant, has saved several lives in her area since 2013 – all for free.
Lesego Giveness Alexander (33) from Nellmapius ext. 24 has worked at Netcare on a contract basis, but the contract has since ended.
Luckily, her community knew who she was and started knocking at her door if there was an emergency or life-threatening situation.
“Helping people is my passion. I had been assisting many people within the community and nearby informal settlements with children’s burns, stitching, dressing wounds, home-based care and patient observation.”
She said with the training and qualifications she has acquired, she has helped a lot of people.
“Many people have offered to give me money after helping them, but I am doing this for free,” she said.
However, her medical kit bag is running dry and she desperately needs equipment to continue helping her community.
“In most cases, people knock at my door at night asking for my help, while waiting for emergency services to arrive; which in many cases are unable to arrive at the scene, because of inaccessible routes in Nellmapius,” Alexander said.
“Nellmapius has a lot of people who come from disadvantaged families and can’t afford to, or are afraid to go to clinics and hospitals,” she said.
Sometimes she has to refer patients to clinics and hospitals if the situation is getting worse.
Recently, she assisted a woman who was in labour near a sports ground in Nellmapius with the child’s head already out and the umbilical cord wrapped around the child’s neck.
She said bystanders could not help the lady.
“The sad part was that they were taking pictures of her while in labour.
“People came running to me and told her about the situation. I quickly helped the lady and used my last birth blanket and asked for clothing packs for the umbilical cord.”
Alexander added that this is not the first woman she has helped to give birth in the area – recently she helped a woman to give birth in her shack.
She pleaded with the Department of Health to help with first aid kit equipment.
Anyone who wishes to help Lesego Giveness Alexander can contact her on 084 948 7632.
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