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Back to Work
Michael Letageng, one of our attendees at our Khomelela branch in Alex, informed us recently that because he has improved so much from the therapy he has received from Headway, he will be returning to work shortly. Michael wrote a beautiful letter of thanks as follows :
Dedicating my thanks to Headway Khomelela, the Re-hab Centre, all the therapists, care givers and Management and not forgetting my fellow attendees :
Thanks and thumbs up for Headway and everybody who was involved. You gave me the power and strength, brought back confidence, strength and built up my self esteem which was down to zero. You gave me hope that I can once again become a better person. Life to me was looking very unfair but you guys came racing to my rescue. I highly appreciate the good work you do.
Keep up the good work you do, mostly for the needy. Revive those in need and God will bless you because he put you there for a purpose. Appreciating your commitment and faithfulness. You will always be my source of healing my entire life. You know exactly what it takes to better someone, the passion and patience you all have has really inspired me, the caring hand like Mother Teresa. I wish it stays there for years to come. Keep walking like John Walker and never give up, like you motivated us not to! Hold your head high.
Soon I will be resuming work. Thanks for your effort, I feel so thankful and a bit emotional when I think that if it was not because of you, where would I have been? My situation will be back to normal soon and I will never forsake Headway. You landed upon me like the angel of peace and mercy. I would like Headway not to hesitate to contact me should you need to. I will always be available.
Regards Michael Letageng
702 Walk the Talk 2009
Approximately 50 people from Headway took part in the 5km event and a really happy day was had by all. The therapists and volunteers worked tirelessly to keep the stragglers together and in spite of this we almost 'lost' one who decided to try and win the race by bolting forward into the crowd of some 50 000 people! At the finish line, supportive husbands and fiancées had set up a Headway gazebo where they served soft drinks, and hotdog rolls to all, after which everyone collapsed onto the grass for a much needed rest. With the rousing pop music blaring in the background to ensure a festive mood and our cheerful group proudly toting newly acquired medals, an air of real achievement prevailed. One of our family members was quite emotional when she said how proud she felt of her husband who had just completed the walk, yet a year ago he was in intensive care and was not expected to live.
The Achilles Club/New York Marathon
Denis Tabakin, Chairman of The Achilles Club of South Africa, a sporting club for disabled people, was introduced to Headway in 2004 by Ann Knott, our senior therapist at the time. That year Denis extended an invitation to two Headway members to join the Achilles team to take part in the New York Marathon and after much deliberation Reinforce Ngomo and Phez Orpen stepped up to the plate and began training for the big day.
Since 2004 a further 6 Headway members have proudly gone to New York with The Achilles Club to take part in the event and they have come back wide eyed and committed to inspiring further brain injured colleagues to take this opportunity of a lifetime.
Victor Nzimande is Headway Khomelela’s entry for 2009 and a small bon voyage celebration was held at Khomelela recently - see the photos below. We wish Victor everything of the very best as he heads off on 25 October to New York on this trip of a lifetime.
The Achilles Club was founded in America and the South African chapter started in 1994. At the time Denis was involved in accompanying blind runners taking part in the Comrades Marathon, and Achilles appointed him to head up Achilles South Africa, which encompasses all types of disabilities.
As far as possible, Denis raises funds each year for the airfares for the athletes to go to New York and the Achilles team in New York sponsor the board and lodging while they are there. Headway is blessed to be on Denis’ list each year and we are eternally grateful to him and to The Achilles Club for including our Headway attendees in this once in a lifetime chance.
Thank you sincerely Denis and The Achilles Club.
Feed back from Victor on his return from New York
My name is Victor Nzimande. I am honoured and appreciate the opportunity to have participated in the New York Marathon on the 1st November 2009. We left South Africa from OR Tambo Airport with SAA. We had a stopover at Senegal to pick up more passengers. We took off after an hour and our next stop was J.F. Kennedy Airport. We stayed at a hotel on the corner of 43rd Street and 7th Avenue West.
The day of the race was on Sunday morning and it was freezing. We took our place at the starting line and I finished the race in 6 hours 57 minutes. The experience I had was breathtaking as I saw other disabled athletes doing the same as everybody else.
During my stay in America we had the opportunity to go on a ferry; we saw the Statue of Liberty and went to the Empire State building. As it was my first visit to the United States, I really enjoyed the different lifestyle of that country.
On returning back to South Africa I would like to be able to be a role model and inspiration to others with brain injury or disability, and because of Headway and S.A. Achilles, I had an opportunity to go abroad to one of the most famous countries in the world. I am going to encourage all my friends, especially my friends at the Headway Khomelela centre in Alex to do sports so they might have the opportunity as I did to go abroad. I would like to thank you all very much for this wonderful opportunity.
The Headway ID card
We have developed a most professional looking ‘Headway ID card’ for our injured members to carry should they wish, and anyone interested in obtaining one should contact the Headway office. The neat wallet size card bears the Headway logo as well as the Department of Health logo, who have given the idea their support and sanction. The card features a photo of the person, immediate family contact numbers, a Headway help line number and a number for a representative of The Department of Health. We have had some occasions over the years when injured Headway members have found themselves in the unfortunate position where they were thought to be ‘under the influence’ because of their gait or the way they speak. Other people may like to carry the card in case of lapse in memory, seizures, etc. This ‘ID card’ will go a long way to assist in cases such as these and there is no charge for the card if you are a Headway member.
State of the art physio equipment for Headway
The Gevers family have been loyal members of Headway since 2005, after their daughter Melissa was involved in a serious motor vehicle accident. Melissa has been attending our activity/therapy programme regularly and we have all rejoiced with this family as Melissa has made, and continues to make remarkable improvements, in so many ways.
Some time ago it was proposed to Headway by the Gevers family that they start a fund to purchase a state of the art piece of physio equipment called an upper and lower body exerciser, or a Motomed, which would be for use by all at Headway. Special friends of the Gevers who live in Glasgow, Susan & Charles Amery-Behr, part of a regular prayer group there, started the initiative and very soon we had a most generous donation from them and their generous friends in Scotland. Locally other friends of the Gevers’ family clubbed together and collected further generous amounts that also went into the fund.
Then recently,, sons of Eric Delmont who is an intrinsic part of Headway and who led the Friendship Circle for many years, raised a most wonderful amount for Headway by getting their friends and friends of friends to back them in the Iron Man Competition. In keeping with the physicality of this competition, Headway took a decision to purchase various much needed physio equipment which would include amongst other equipment, the Motomed.
A small ceremony was held at Headway recently to bless this new equipment and Father Cyril from St. Thomas’ Church in Linden, who is well known to the Gevers family, kindly undertook the service. Father Cyril blessed the Motomed and all those involved with Headway, with particular mention of our therapists who are so closely involved with our attendees. Danny Joelson, our physiotherapist explained the workings of the equipment and its potential benefits and Melissa put the equipment through it paces.
Many sincere thanks to all involved in this most worthwhile project that will benefit all Headway members.
Thank You Letters received by Headway
To all at Headway
Love and support: you gave me that. I thank you for that. I learnt a lot of things. My appreciation, it cannot be measured.
You deserve a big thank you! You help people in different ways, such as speaking, talking to someone who listens, physio, art, I cannot name all the ways that you helped me. It gives me confidence.
You help others too. Some are going to their normal working lives. You deserve all of it. I can carry on like this until the cows come home! You deserve more than thank you, I don’t have the words. I carry my Headway bag around everywhere I go – I’m proud to be at Headway.
Headway, you are the best! Until next year, have a lovely holiday.
Lots of love
Tom Sundawo
To Bianca and the marvellous team at Headway
Where does one begin to say THANK YOU to each and every person at Headway for the special work that you do? You have changed and impacted on our beloved family member’s life as well as ours in a very special way. You have encouraged, loved, always accepted who and what we are without reservation and for that we are so grateful. You never get upset or angry with our shortcomings but continue to be our anchor at all times.
The wonderful friends that our families have been privileged to meet with on a weekly basis has also been amazing as they have all encouraged each other without condition. The journey is so more bearable knowing that there is a purpose in these circumstances, even though we cannot understand why this has had to happen in our lives but we do know that there are caring, wonderful people who work for this fantastic support group called Headway.
May God bless each and every one of you and your families over the holidays and I hope that we stay focused on the things that we are able to control and hand over the things that we are not able to.
With warm wishes
Mike & Mary
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