TRUE FIGHTER

Cordious Nompumelelo Shelembe, 28, embraced her independent spirit and enthusiasm to overcome an accident at the age of 22 that robbed her of speech, vision and mobility and cut short her promising modelling and business careers. She shares how she conque

Having this conversation with you, you’ll have to bear with me. I might forget some words. I had to teach myself how to speak again. I had to read a lot and get my speech back.

I hated that when I spoke with some people, they’d reply ‘huh?’ every time I said something. That was frustrating, you know how much energy it took me to be able to say all that? So I spent some time just being quiet, even though nothing was wrong with me.

Imagine a loud, bubbly person being quiet? I grew up a talkative child. I was raised in a loving family with both my mom and dad. I have two older siblings and a younger brother. But I grew up with my grandmother and moved in with my parents when I was 13 and starting high school, moving from Dobsonville to Fox Lake to be with my parents in a very small neighbourhood.

I love telling the story of how I was really bad at netball, but my high school coach put me in the team because of my sheer determination and dedication. What made it worse, and funny, is the team voted me captain because they knew I’d get things done. In matric, I knew I was good in maths and accounting so I decided to study at the University of Johannesburg and did a National Diploma in Accounting. After I graduated in 2011, I started a BCom through Unisa, but couldn’t continue because I had the accident in my second year. I wanted to be an accountant but knew I didn’t want to be in an office the whole day. I loved interacting with and being around people.

A lady called Makgofe approached me through Facebook. She really thought I was talented and could model. We met and I joined her company, sent out my images and ended up joining Star Models (now Boss Models). I was signed officially at age 20. It was tough because I wasn’t used to the industry but I was open-minded, young and dedicated. Things were looking great in my life. I was modelling and also worked parttime at a marketing company in Bryanston.

I’ve always been hard-working. My part-time job landed me my first job at an IT company in Sandton after graduation. They loved my spirit and work ethic. I started working in November as a business development assistant. I’d been working for six months when the accident happened, just when my career was getting off the ground. It almost cut my life short.

The day of the accident was around June 2012. I think it was the 8th but don’t remember correctly. I saw clients and had to drive to Rosebank for a fashion show at Crowne Plaza. After the show, I remember SMSing my parents to tell them I was leaving so they could open the gate for me when I got home. It was around 9pm.

I saw in my mirror there was a green minivan following me since I left Rosebank but didn’t think much of it. Then I got to the M1 South highway by the bridge that leads to Crown Mines, that’s when it happened. The minivan rear-ended me. I lost control of the car, it rolled and landed below the bridge. They left me there to die. I don’t know why they did that, if they were trying to hijack me or if they were someone I knew, because it didn’t make sense. I made it by God’s grace, as a patrolling traffic officer found me. I don’t remember much of what happened.

I only regained consciousness two weeks after the accident when I got out of a coma. I had run out of funds after a few days in Garden City Clinic and they moved me to Helen Joseph, a government hospital. My injuries were severe. The doctors even told my parents to prepare for the worst. I had a head injury and a fractured spine. When I woke up, I couldn’t speak, walk or see clearly. I was so confused. My speech was very loud and I couldn’t control it. For some reason, the only language I could remember was English. I couldn’t speak isiZulu at all even though we speak it at home. It took me a full month to realise I was in hospital, even though I saw people coming to see me. After two months, I insisted on going home. I really hated being in the hospital. Throughout, I didn’t see anything wrong with me. I felt I could walk, talk and do everything properly. My family thought I was crazy because of the head injury. My attitude helped me a lot, because I was positive and it eventually helped my parents to be the same.

I am a God-fearing woman. I believe I wasn’t given a spirit of fear but of sound mind and love and that I can do anything. I think my positive attitude is what got me through. I was in a wheelchair but didn’t believe it was meant for me. I’d get up and my mom would scream at me like I was a naughty child. I had a spine fracture and they didn’t want me to hurt myself more. When they weren’t looking, I’d get up and try my best to walk, I couldn’t but was determined to try. I’d use the walls to walk a few steps. I told myself nakanjani I’d do this. I motivated myself throughout. I knew I could do all things through Christ who strengthens me. I got out of the wheelchair two months after returning home and used a walker for four months. I got annoyed with the walker and I’d carry it and walk by myself to prove to everyone that I could. People would stare and I hated that or we’d go to the bank and they’d say I must use the disabled line, but I wasn’t disabled, I was physically challenged. I hate that term. My recovery took time – a good year and a bit. I remember there was a day I didn’t want my dad to drive me somewhere. I said I’d take a taxi. Many people made comments and said I was drunk because I was still stumbling and not fully balanced but I was determined.

People think I don’t realise the magnitude of what happened but I do. I lived through that pain. I chose for it not to define my life. I didn’t unpack and settle in the darkness and pain.

God takes you through things. I’m on the worship team at church so I believe that I am fully healed. If you can realise how powerful the mind is, you can do anything.

I got myself a new car, an automatic to make my parents happy and I currently run two businesses – Cordi, which is my personal brand, and Diamond Destiny, an events and catering company that I run with my mom and sister. The accident happened and it was a challenge but I got my life back. I didn’t give up.

I am a Godfearing woman. I believe I wasn’t given a spirit of fear but of sound mind and love and that I can do anything. I think my positive attitude is what got me through