‘Zimbabwe, l urgently need your help’
I write to appeal to well-wishers in and outside Zimbabwe for compassionate assistance. I am a victim and survivor of a horrific road traffic accident.
THE impact and severity of the accident left one of my legs in bad shape. The affected right leg was completely severed and traumatically broken at the ankle. Only the kind, devoted and angelic efforts of Dr Paul Thistle (Karanda Hospital), Dr Brendan Martin (Canada) and their team of nurses saved my leg from becoming gangrenous and being amputated.
The open wounds seemed to have healed but the pain is back. lt has now become a painful ordeal for me to survive. The ankle joint has become stiff and cannot bend. Also it has deformed inwardly.
When I attempt to walk, I can only step on the smallest toe due to the deformity. In addition, the joint often swells and is itchy and very painful. I fear that the wound might become cancerous if left untreated.
I am appealing for financial assistance to enable me to go for specialist corrective orthopedic surgery to repair or remove the ankle joint completely. Specialist consultant doctors have said it is safe and viable to either correct the deformity or simply remove the stale and neglected joint and replace it with an artificial one.
The doctors have quoted the specialist surgery procedure at US$3 700 in South Africa whilst in Zimbabwe it’s close to US$10 000, which is more prohibitive. I am a holder of a professional Diploma in Education with 20 years experience and during my years in service, I was the delight of my supervisors. The love and commitment I had for my job made life worth living.
Currently I am unemployed because my job requires active movement. Now I just sit, worry and sleep. It pains me to imagine the future of my young children. They still need to be schooled up to a reasonable level. To make it worse, I am now homeless and am hopping from one relative to another for shelter and assistance.
The surgery will allow me to go back to work and look after my young children. My wife, in-laws and relatives are trying their best to assist me but they won’t be able to look after me and my children forever.
May the kind, helpful spirit characteristic of Zimbabweans come to the rescue of my health, family and the future of my children.
Those willing to assist can get in touch with Duke Chinyongo on +263779863985 or make deposits into POSB account number 104310002415, or Meikles Financial Services MyCash account number 6058720011397701