Wheelchairs and groceries are falling like summer rain for the sickly Thomas Shivhishi (38) of Makonde Village, whose plight was published by Mirror two weeks ago.

Last week, Thohoyandou Spar and the Wheelchair Foundation donated a brand new wheelchair and groceries after reading Thomas’s touching story in our paper. This week, the Department of Health and Social Development responded by providing Thomas with another wheelchair! This means that the powerful voice of Mirror has enabled Thomas to acquire two wheelchairs in less than two weeks!

"I was looking for only one wheelchair, but Mirror has done wonders for me. I now have two wheelchairs and I have just declined another offer from a sympathetic Mirror reader who wanted to give me a third wheelchair. Since the publication of the article, my phone never stops ringing from callers who are helping on daily basis."

The ailing Thomas was diagnosed with TB meningitis in 1993 and he was bedridden because he could not walk.

Shortly after the publication of Thomas’s article, members of Makonde Home-Based Care called Mirror to express their willingness to help. Because Thomas was staying alone, members of Makonde Home-Based Care offered to clean his house twice a week for the rest of his life. "We were touched by his plight and we decided to come on board. We will definitely take care of him because our job is to make sure that everyone enjoys life without difficulties. Thomas has been created by God and if we neglect him, it means we are looking down upon the God who created him," says Avhasei Manyatshe of Makonde Home-Based Care.

The community liaison officer of Donald Fraser Hospital, under the Department of Health and Social Development, Nnditsheni Mathule, explains why they handed a wheelchair to Thomas. "Everyone was touched by Thomas’s plight and there was an urgent need to do something for him. Upon learning about his plight, we decided to hand him a wheelchair that was luckily available at the moment. He is one of our brothers out there who needs everyone’s support to survive."

Asked what he was going to do with the two wheelchairs, the jubilant Thomas said: "I understand that there are people out there who find it difficult to acquire a wheelchair. I will definitely return the one that I received from the Donald Fraser Hospital so that they can give it to someone who needs it. I gratefully acknowledge their assistance but there is no need for me to have two wheelchairs while there are other people who are suffering out there."

Saying thank you a million times to Mirror is not enough. You have really changed my life."