GQEBERHA – For most people, going to the shop to buy a loaf of bread is an ordinary part of daily life.

But for 38-year-old Motherwell resident Sandile Msizi, it can mean finding someone to push him, negotiating how much he can afford to pay for the help and accepting that a simple trip outside his home is no longer something he can do independently.

After 14 years of relying on a second-hand manual wheelchair, Msizi is appealing to the public for help to obtain an electric wheelchair — something he believes could restore some of the independence he is slowly losing.

“I really need help,” he said.

Born with a permanent disability, Msizi has never walked and has used a wheelchair throughout his life.

In 2012, a donor from Walmer gave him a second-hand manual wheelchair. At the time, it provided him with a degree of independence.

Fourteen years later, the wheelchair has become worn and requires frequent repairs, while Msizi said his physical condition has also changed.

He is experiencing pain and weakness in his right arm and is struggling to propel himself. “I received this chair in 2012. I was born with a disability and I never walked before. I have always used a wheelchair,” he said.

“I’m getting older. Now I’m 38 and my chair doesn’t fit me properly. My right side isn’t working properly and I’m struggling to push myself. My body is weak, so I need help wherever I go.”

The situation is particularly difficult because Msizi’s wife is also a wheelchair user.

“It’s just the two of us. I live with my wife; she is also in a wheelchair,” he said.

Daily trips have become a struggle for the couple

The couple used to be able to go shopping and travel to town or the taxi rank, but Msizi said he now frequently has to depend on strangers or pay someone to push him.

“We used to go shopping, maybe to town or the taxi rank, but now I have to ask someone to push me. I pay someone to push me and I’m really struggling because I must pay someone again,” he said.

Even buying food has become a challenge.

“I also need to buy food. It would be better if I had an electric wheelchair because then I can go alone to the shop.”

For Msizi, the request is about far more than getting a new piece of equipment.

It is about being able to leave his home without first having to find someone willing and able to push him. It is about being able to look for work and regain some control over his daily movements.

In a social media appeal, Msizi said his current wheelchair had become increasingly difficult to use and that relying on others was affecting his independence and dignity.

“Pushing my manual wheelchair has become a major challenge. I often have to ask people to push me, and I have to pay someone to assist me when I need to go anywhere,” he said.

“An electric wheelchair would change my life.”

For more information click on https://www.backabuddy.co.za/campaign/new-wheels-for-sandile

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