Elderly mother seeks help for epileptic son
A 66-year old mother, Mavis Malila, wishes for a perfectly smooth life, but that wish seems unrealistic because of her ailing 31-year-old son, Ookeditse Malila, who has been living with epilepsy since birth.
For the past 30 years, the family that resides in Block 7, Francistown, has been looking for ways to cope and help him live well.
In an interview with The Midweek Sun, Malila said taking care of Ookeditse has been a rollercoaster ride as they encountered challenges daily. She vividly recalls the day she gave birth to her child in 1991, and discovered that he was born paralysed on the entire left side of his body.
Unfortunately, Ookeditse’s condition worsened after a brain surgery. When she was told that her son would experience seizures, she was devastated because she did not know how to take care of a child with such a condition.
“Since birth my child has not been able to do things for himself. He cannot walk, talk or even feed himself. This made me remain in one place and care for him,” Malila said.
As years passed, Malila realised that she needed to look for a job in order to take care of Ookeditse and her other children. She was later admitted into the Ipelegeng programme.
Currently, she receives help for her ailing son from the government’s disability programme but worries that the P350 allowance is not enough considering the needs of her son.
Malila said her son is provided with only 30 adult diapers from the hospital, which last for only two weeks, after which she has to buy. She often ends up buying baby diapers because adult diapers are expensive.
“The situation can become worse to a point that I can use my T-shirt as a diaper,” Malila said, adding that while her disabled son uses a wheelchair, he also needs full attention because he can easily fall from the wheelchair.
Malila pleads with any Good Samaritan to rescue her with food and funds. She also encourages parents with epileptic children to trust God and continue taking care of their children.
Goitsemodimo Malila (36) the elder sister to Ookeditse, said her brother’s condition affects the whole family and she has not been able to find a proper job yet she needs to support and help her mother take care of Ookeditse.