Help Joey to hear and see the world again

“Brotherhood means laying down your life for somebody, really willing to sacrifice yourself for somebody else.” - Tim Hetherington

Meet Joey.

She is an extraordinary, selfless woman who gave life to three boys. She always put our father and us before anything else. She sacrificed a lot in her life. I can never forget that we would get the new clothes, the best portions at the dinner table, and she… she was just mum. Early mornings she would always be busy in the kitchen, preparing breakfast and wake us with aromatic coffee. After that, she and dad will leave for work and return late the afternoon to continue giving all of her for her family. She would then do the washing, ironing, prepare dinner, clean the home, and be the best she can be as a mother and wife.

When turmoil struck my family, my parents selflessly sacrificed all their savings to ensure that her sons and grandchildren were not affected by the unexpected events bestowed upon our family. You see, life happens, and now she requires our assistance. After constant pestering from life-threatening telephone pranks, the straw broke the camel’s back. Mum was never the same since that one fatal day after yet another prank call that pushed her over the edge. You see, Mum had a nervous breakdown and never was the same since.

With dad’s myriad of medical ailments and the worry of not having medical insurance, mum’s mental condition is worsening as a result of not being able to afford medical intervention. Mum needs at least three medical interventions in order to improve her state of life. The most prominent - Mum has become hard of hearing. Trying to keep up in conversations and overcoming the anxiety of being in social settings only contributes to her mental distress. The cost of the hearing aid is R19900 (about $1330).

Mum’s eyesight is weak and has to have cataracts removed. She is unable to read her beloved Bible at night. As you might or might not know, public hospitals have become a death-trap for the poor due to chronic staff shortages and long waiting hours, equipment shortages, oncology crises, shortages of consumables and medicine, negligence and claims, etc. She has been placed on a two year, non-guaranteed, waiting list at the public hospital with the hopes of getting the surgery. By then, I suspect the frustration of not being able to see correctly, would have contributed negatively to her mental situation. The cataract operations, as per recent tariffs, could be from R21000 per eye ($1528). https://www.safesight.co.za/cataract-surgery-costs...

Finally, Mum will also need dental care as she is experiencing pain and discomfort. The dental care is estimated to be around R12000 ($797). https://www.whatclinic.com/dentists/south-africa/d...

If you would like to assist with Mum’s financial burden, any donation through GoFundMe would be greatly appreciated. All funds raised will go directly to Mum’s medical costs and related expenses.