How a Cape Town family is crowdfunding for essential care equipment
Nineteen-year-old Donnel from Cape Town, who has lived with hydrocephalus since birth, is nearing his crowdfunding target as his family seeks essential support to help him live with dignity and ease the physical strain on his mother.
Image: Supplied
At 19, most young adults are stepping into independence. For Donnel, adulthood has arrived with heavier physical demands and care needs his family can no longer manage alone.
Born with hydrocephalus, Donnel has lived his entire life with a neurological condition that prevents him from walking and leaves him fully dependent on care. He has undergone six major surgeries, survived a stroke and continues to face daily risks linked to seizures and severe skin allergies.
As his body has grown, so too has the strain on the only person who has ever cared for him — his mother.
She has been Donnel’s sole caregiver since he was four years old, after his father died of cancer. For the past 15 years, she has managed every aspect of his life: medical routines, hygiene, feeding, lifting and transport to clinics and hospitals.
Now, as Donnel enters adulthood, the physical toll has become overwhelming.
“He can’t be lifted the way he could as a child,” the family explains. “Every transfer from bed to chair, every hospital visit, carries the risk of injury — for him and for his mother.”
Years of lifting have left his mother with severe, chronic back pain, turning routine care into a daily struggle.
Yet resilience continues to define life inside their home.
Despite poor eyesight and limited use of one hand, Donnel has found comfort and purpose in music. Singing has become his refuge — a way to express joy and identity beyond his physical limitations.
“He doesn’t complain,” his family says. “Even during seizures or setbacks, his calmness is often what gives his mother the strength to keep going.”
But determination alone can no longer bridge the practical realities of care.
The cost of adult nappies, medicated creams and ongoing medical consultations continues to rise, while transport to clinics has become increasingly difficult without specialised assistance. Essential mobility equipment is no longer optional — it is critical.
Faced with these pressures, the family made the difficult decision to seek help through a verified BackaBuddy campaign.
The appeal aims to raise R20,000 to cover a heavy-duty wheelchair, daily medical and hygiene supplies, safe point-to-point transport and support that would protect both Donnel’s health and his mother’s wellbeing.
At the time of publication, the campaign had raised more than R14,000 and was nearing its target.
“This campaign isn’t about luxury,” says organiser Rory Little. “It’s about dignity. It’s about recognising that this journey can’t be carried by one person anymore.”
For the family, the response has brought relief after years of navigating Donnel’s care largely on their own.
“Having the right equipment would change everything,” they say. “It would reduce the risk of injury, protect his mother’s health and allow Donnel to live with greater comfort and stability.”
Disability advocates have previously highlighted the growing risks faced by full-time caregivers — most often women — particularly when caring for adults with severe mobility impairments. As patients age out of paediatric care, families are frequently left to manage escalating physical and medical demands with limited support.
For Donnel and his mother, community support has become the final lifeline.
To support Donnel, visit: https://www.backabuddy.co.za/campaign/helping-donnel-access-the-care-he-deserves
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Cape Argus