WHEELS OF CHANGE:

FOR the past eight years, 10-year-old Oyintanda Ndeleni has been bedridden due to a rare condition affecting nearly every aspect of the child’s life: her ability to speak, walk, eat and even breathe easily.

But yesterday was a memorable day for the Ndelenis as their daughter was donated a wheelchair to enable her to move around.

The Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital donated a wheelchair to the Langa child who survives on the government’s child-support grant.

The Cape Times in May reported about the child’s ordeal of being stuck in her parent’s one-room house in Block H for almost all her life.

Her family had approached a number of government departments for help in getting a wheelchair, but failed.

Oyintanda suffers from Rett syndrome, a non-inherited genetic postnatal neurological disorder that occurs almost exclusively in girls and leads to severe impairments,

affecting most aspects of their lives.

“Today is a pleasant day. Her getting a wheelchair is heart-warming after all these years,” said Oyintanda’s father Sivuyile Ndeleni.

“We have been waiting for years for this day to come and finally here we are.

He said now Oyintanda could “sit in her wheels” even outdoors.

He thanked those involved in getting Oyintanda the wheelchair. “It shows there are goodhearted people out there,” he said.

The hospital’s spokesperson, Dwayne Evans, said the wheelchair’s total cost was R6 967.62 and this was paid by Westcor.

The physiotherapists at the hospital adjusted the wheelchair’s seat length and footplates to make it suitable for Oyintanda’s condition.

“The hospital is always glad to have a positive effect on the lives of our patients. We strive to offer the best possible care for all our patients,” said Evans.

Before yesterday’s visit Oyintanda was given follow-up dates for physiotherapy at a local community health centre and then a follow-up for her wheelchair seating at Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital.

“Seating is the clinical approach to fitting and adjusting the chair to best accommodate the patient’s functional and support needs,” said Evans.

Picture: Henk Kruger/African News Agency (ANA) Oyintanda Ndeleni, 10, who suffers from a rare condition which affects her ability to speak, walk, eat and even breathe, has had a wheelchair donated to her by Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital. Physiotherapist Eleonora Lozano makes final adjustments to the wheelchair. Also present at the handover yesterday was the child’s father Sivuyile Ndeleni.

Picture: Henk Kruger/African News Agency (ANA) GOOD CAUSE: Physiotherapist Eleonora Lozano makes final fitments to a wheelchair that was donated to Oyintanda.