New Friend

This is 20 year old Nonkululeko Mseleku. We love her smile (but she wouldn't do it on camera), she  is an orphan and lives with a friend in a shanty in Umlazi K section.  She has scoliosis of the spine,  her legs are not functional and remain tucked under her to support her upper body.  One day Ed and I were in the area and he spotted her going down the street and noticed The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints printed on the back of the wheelchair.  He stopped to talk to her and  she said she received the wheelchair two years ago from her school.  Ed asked her how was it working and she said it didn't work well anymore, which wasn't a surprise considering the dirt roads in her area.  We took her name and phone number and did some checking to find out if we might be able to have it fixed for her. The Church sent us to CE Mobility and they said they could have it repaired in two hours.  While we were waiting for the repair we asked her what she would like to do and she wanted to go to a mall.  It's very difficult for her to travel anywhere because the taxi's do not accommodate handicapped people. She said she is pretty much stuck at home all day.  We went to the mall, had lunch, had her nails done, but the best part was looking at all the shops.  Every where we went people were very sweet to her. She has a bubbly personality with hopes and dreams like any other young adult. Her challenge is money and getting to and from school or a job.  When we picked up the wheelchair it looked great! They installed new bearings, arm pads, new back and seat,plus they added side panels for greater comfort.  Next we took her to the beach and walked along the shore and down the pier.  It was a very pleasant day and we will check up on her from time to time. I'm so thankful Elder Cinquini took the time to stop and talk to her.  This has been a sweet experience.