Our names are Victoria and Abraham Olivier. We are 45 and 43 years of age respectively, living in Cape Town, South Africa. We were diagnosed as children with a very rare genetic sickness called Hereditary Spastic Ataxia. Of our six siblings, we have the misfortune of being the two to have this illness. Three of our siblings are older than Victoria and one younger than me. This sickness has caused me to be confined to a wheelchair and Victoria to be bedridden 99% of the time. One of the horrible symptoms of this sickness is that we suffer constant painful and uncomfortable muscle spasms. Another side-effect of the sickness has struck us in the last twenty-something months and has subsequently been confirmed in me as Osteoarthritis of the hips. It is affecting my right hip and both of Victoria’s hips.
We both also suffer from heart ailments; Coronary Artery Disease and Hypercholesterolemia. We both have had triple heart-bypass operations; Victoria had hers in 2003 and I had mine in 2013.
We both need hip replacement surgery urgently as we are in agonising and constant pain. The problem is that we cannot afford the operation and the necessary aftercare for Victoria. The cost of the operation is approximately R200 000 and the aftercare about R75 000 each. I had the fortune of being employed until my heart surgery in 2013. I am on a medical aid so I will be able to have this operation.
We humbly and sincerely ask for your assistance and contributions to raise the money, for Victoria, which will enable her to have the surgery and have quality of life and dignity.