Illness chains woman to her house

A WOMAN from Ga-Ramashoana village in the Aganang area has been bedridden for five years after being afflicted with elephantiasis.

Maria Mokobodi (56) and her family are in desperate need of assistance after elephantiasis, a disease that causes parts of a person’s body swell to massive proportions, struck.

Mogiege (19), Maria’s youngest daughter, said her mother’s disease was affecting the entire family negatively. “I have had to put my school work on hold because there is no one who can look after my mother. When I am at school, I can’t concentrate because I am thinking about her. We don’t even have enough money to buy her diapers and medication or hire someone to care for her, because no one in the family has jobs,” Mogiege explained.

Maria’s younger sister, Monica, said elephantiasis started affecting Maria in 2005.

“It started with pains in her legs. There was a growth and she thought the pain would go away eventually, but the growth just kept getting bigger.

“Maria desperately needs help. She is confined to her house and can’t walk anywhere. She can’t even wash herself. We believe that, if people in the community can just help her, she has a chance of being cured, or at least improve,” Monica said.

She further said Maria suffered from high blood pressure and had had a stroke last week.

“We called the ambulance service but the ambulance arrived with two emergency medical technicians (EMT). Because of her size, they had to go and fetch some more (EMT’s) to assist them to load her into the ambulance.

“At WF Knobel Hospital, the doctor examined her. Then he said the stroke damage was permanent and there was nothing else he could do for her,” Monica said.

She said the family would appreciate any assistance for her sister. Monica can be contacted at 082 408 6226 or 071 333 9685.