One of Gugulethu’s most prominent citizens, Thozi Mciki, got a motorised wheelchair on Friday October 13, from mayor of Cape Town Patricia de Lille.
Mr Mciki, who is a common sight to Gugulethu residents, was diagnose with Fibrodysplasie Ossifican Progressiva (FOP) in 1973.
This rare condition results in the progressive ossification (turning into bone) of skeleton muscle. This relentless process causes people with FOP to develop difficulties with movement, which eventually cause complete immobilisation of all joints. It literally turns people into statues. This is severely disabling for which there is no cure at this point.
Mr Mciki has been completely immobile since early adulthood and is the eldest known surviving FOP patient in South Africa.
A trust fund called Thozamile Trust was formed to help Thozi to get a wheelchair. And after a long scouting one suitable company called Medop which is based in Epping made him the motorised wheelchair valued at R120 000
Friday’s handover saw the realisation of his long life dream and an end to his suffering.
