A Kuils River couple has launched a public appeal to raise money for a device that will help their 6-year-old daughter communicate.
Rania de Vries has cerebral palsy. She is in a wheelchair and can’t walk, crawl, talk or feed herself.
Her parents Imaan and Sharief say raising a child with cerebral palsy is not easy but there are many joys along the way.
The family has started a crowdfunding campaign to pay for ongoing therapy as well as the R50 000 eye-gaze device that will help Rania communicate by tracking her eye movements.
“It will be great to hear my daughter say something like ‘Mom, I am not feeling well today,’ or even ‘Mom, I love you,’ but at the moment we do not know how she is feeling and have to tell by the sounds she makes,” said Ms De Vries.
Mr De Vries said therapy had helped Rania and she could now lift her head up and push herself up using her arms and legs – things they had thought she would never be able to do.
“On this journey, we met a lot of people who simply just showed many ways of support. We are thankful that we have a great support system,” he said.
Ms De Vries said, “Rania has a very happy character, always laughing despite her challenges. She loves music, enjoys dancing in her chair and loves spending time with her 13-year-old sister, Zahra.
“It is OK if my daughter never walks, but it is important for us as parents to know what is going on in the mind with the help of an eye-gaze machine.”
The family has held several fund-raisers, including a benefit concert, last month.
If you would like to help Rania, you can donate to www.backabuddy.co.za/little-love-bug or visit Little LoveBug – Rania’s Journey on Facebook.
To connect with her parents contact Imaan at 073 509 9279 and Sharief at 083 305 0501.  Â