Good Morning Angels: Brand new wheelchair and more for 10-year-old Thato

BACKGROUND:  Soon after her son Thato was born 10 years ago, it was clear that he was not like other babies. It was confirmed that Thato has cerebral palsy and that he would need special care. Nkele says she was on her own and she’s been able to give her son what he needed with the help of her mom. It is still just the three of them and Nkele works hard to provide for their little family. She is in her second year of studying a B.Com HR Management degree, to improve her earning opportunities. Her hard work, love, and dedication has not gone unnoticed. Her manager, Mariette Jansen, describes Nkele as an “amazing women and mother. Nkele is an awesome person and great mother, caring and loving in everything she does, Thato comes first.”

Thato has grown out of his wheelchair and Nkele is saving for a new one, as the R30,000 it would cost is not covered by their medical aid. In the meantime, Thato sits in a make-shift chair, but he is too heavy and has fallen out of the chair five times this year. In one fall, he lost a permanent tooth, and as his bones are very brittle due to the CP, he is at risk of breaking one. This is a big worry to his dedicated mother and that is why Mariette wrote to Good Morning Angels on behalf of Nkele and her beautiful "brave and sweet, cheeky, little boy”, Thato.

REQUEST FOR: 10-year old Thato and mom, Nkele 

REQUEST FROM:  Mariette Jansen 

ANGEL: LottoStar … with love

SPONSORING: LottoStar is joining forces with Good Morning Angels with a special "With Love” fund to give added assistance to as many people as possible during this COVID-19 pandemic. From this fund, LottoStar will help Nkele with R30,000 towards Thato’s new wheelchair and another R10,000 to help with other medical needs and necessities. That’s a total of R40,000 of assistance for Thato and Nkele from Lotto Star, with love...

ORIGINAL REQUEST:

 Hi Jacaranda Angels,

Hope you keeping safe, healthy & strong through these crazy times!!!

I would like to start by saying thank you to everyone involved for the incredible work that you do for people in need.  We have our office radio tuned to Jacaranda and we all listened to your show and Wednesdays, Thabo in the office, used to put it extra load so we can all hear the incredible stories and the help that is given to these people and we all have to pretend to find something on the floor to wipe the tears away.  Since Lockdown we are working from home and I have not missed a show… tears and all😊

I work with an amazing woman and mother, Nkele Lebombo. She started working with me last year October.  We all knew she had a son, now 10-years old, but no one in the office knew that he had cerebral palsy. The husband ran for the hills when Thato was born when they realised that he had CP.  There was no warning or any signs to prepare her for the shock.  It didn’t make her love him any less than she does today.  She has raised Thato with the help of her mother and caretakers.  He has had operations to correct the muscles etc. and every time she talks about it, she tears up remembering the pain he had after each operation and knowing she can’t take it away.  Nkele is an awesome person & great mother, caring and loving in everything she does, Thato comes first.  She loves that little boy very much.  At the moment Thato has a make shift chair that he sits in during the day, but it is not sufficient to keep him safe.  He has fallen out of the chair more than 5 time this year, and as I am sure you know that because of the CP his bones have become brittle over the years and with every fall he stands a chance to break something. Fortunately this has not happened, with one of the falls he however lost one of his permanent teeth which still needs to be fixed. He is dependant on Nkele and her mom to do everything for him, but under all that is a brave and sweet, cheeky, little boy who loves his mother very much.

I would like to ask if the Jacaranda Angels can help with a donation towards buying Thato a new wheelchair that will keep him safe and be better for his needs.  Nkele is saving up for a new chair, but it is taking very long as she is doing it alone and has normal expenses and medical expenses that are not all covered by her medical aid. Did I mention that she is doing her 2^nd year towards B.Com HR Management, to enhance herself and make a better future for her and Thato?  See, she is awesome!!!  He needs a chair that will support his neck and body and prevent him from falling out and causing himself any harm and give Nkele piece of mind that she can run to the kitchen and not worry that he is going to fall out the chair trying to follow her. 

I really hope that you choose her to wave your wand of generosity over.  Thank you for taking the time to read my request, you guys are magical, have an awesome day!!!

Kind Regards

Mariette Jansen