The precious gift of life has been turned into a nightmare for bedridden ailing Thomas Shivhishi (38), who was diagnosed with TB meningitis (inflammation of the membranes enclosing the brain and spinal chord) in 1993.

His health condition is so poor that he cannot even lift his crutches, which are his only hope for movement. The suffering man stays alone at Makonde Village, north of Thohoyandou. Thomas has to crawl painfully from his bed to a plastic chair next to his bed. He then uses his bare feet to clutch the floor and drag the chair in the desired direction, taking more than 30 minutes to move a distance of three meters.

"My only wish is to posses a wheelchair before I die. Sleeping on this bed for the rest of my life will only affect my health negatively. Why on earth should I suffer like this because I have done nothing wrong? To me, life is now a cruel monster, which I find very difficult to cope with. Staying alone, with no one to talk to, also gives me sleepless nights and it seems everyone is turning their backs on me, since my wife left me in 2002. How much more must I suffer before someone can facilitate my acquisition of a wheelchair, new or old? My little world ends in this house and I don’t even know what channels to follow when one wants a wheelchair," said Thomas, with tears of sorrow running down his face.

Thomas says he cannot afford to buy a wheelchair with his disability grant, because he uses the money for survival. "I have to hire people to cook, wash and clean for me. Besides that, I also need food and clothes and other basic needs to survive."

He explains how he was attacked by the terrible sickness: "It happened while I was doing my Grade 11 at Niani High School in 1993. I gathered enough courage to go on with life but I was forced to drop out of Grade 12. It started with a light pain in my spinal chord but the pain continued until I was admitted to Donald Fraser Hospital. My dreams suddenly crumbled when doctors told me that I was suffering from TB meningitis. I was given crutches for walking but I am so powerless that I cannot even lift them."

Mirror contacted officials from the Department of Health and Social Development to improve Thomas’s living conditions. The Community Liaison Officer of Donald Fraser Hospital, Nnditsheni Mathule, rushed to our offices for more details about the issue. Upon requesting Thomas’s ID number, Mathule promised to add Thomas’s name to the list of people who urgently need free government wheelchairs. "I will personally visit Thomas and assess his living conditions to see whether there are additional needs that must be addressed. We were deeply touched by his plight and we will do everything we can to assist him."

Thomas will accept any assistance from community members and he can be contacted at 072 768 4438