Funding needed for a special wheelchair

Marthina Mutanga and Samuel Shinedima

TWELVE-YEAR-OLD old Herman Cornelius, who resides in the Hakahana township of Windhoek, suffers from a condition known as cerebral palsy which severely limits his ability to lead a normal life.
Cornelius, who was born healthy, was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy in 2012 and he has since been forced to stay in bed due to a lack of funds to acquire a special custom-made wheelchair which will cost his family at least N$17 000.
His mother, Esther Abraham, has expressed her exasperation with the hardship of her son’s condition and how her life changed since Cornelius was rendered a paraplegic in 2012. The 32-year-old mother said that she even had to quit her job to enable her to permanently care for her child.
“When I took Herman to the doctor for the first time, they told me that he has water on the brain,” said Abraham.
Some of the challenges that the young mother face include buying special diapers and paying for taxi drivers to take her son for regular medical examinations.
“Herman’s father also does not have stable employment, although he tries so hard to assist with the little he gets from doing simple jobs,” she said.
Cornelius receives all the nutrients he needs through a gastric tube placed directly in his tummy.
Abraham and her family are appealing to their fellow Namibians for assistance that would enable them to pay for the custom-built wheelchair that will enable the boy to regain some of his mobility.