‘For our family, he is just Willie’
'My brother is totally dependent on his family for physical and financial support'
“It is a dream for me to be able to open up an institution where I will be able help people like my brother,” said Fred Hayward.
His brother, Willie, was in a car crash 20 years ago and Fred explained, “Willie – now 41 years old – sustained serious brain damage and was left paralysed. He cannot not speak or do anything for himself, so is he totally dependent on help to do basic things like eating, washing and dressing.”
He added that Willie is capable of showing what he wants by using limited hand gestures, but it is not always successful, resulting in a lot of frustration. “When it happens, one of us rubs his back for a little bit, and when he is calmer, we’ll just try again,” Fred said.
Willie’s father and stepmother has been taking care of him for the past 20 years, but due to a few setbacks, they now need to move him to an institution where he will receive 24-hour care. “My dad took early retirement to help with Willie’s care. When he died two years ago, my stepmother took over, but she was recently retrenched, and will not be able to help any more,” he said.
Meanwhile, the family has started searching for a place for Willie, but they have realised that they cannot do it without help. “The institutions on the West Rand have monthly fees at between R7 000 and R9 000 per month. With Willie’s pension and contributions from the family, we only have R4 000 a month, which does not include the extra costs of his diapers, medication, snacks and outings,” Fred explained.
The Haywards are in the process of establishing a Non-profit Organisation (NPO), but according to him it may take months, and until it realises, they need help from the community. Fred said, “We don’t only need financial contributions, we would also appreciate any snacks, clothes, three-quarter size bedding (for a hospital bed), diapers, linen savers, and toiletries (such as Fissan Paste, toothpaste, Prep shaving cream, deodorant, shampoo and soap).”
Fred explained that the NPO will not only be for Willie’s benefit, but their aim is to offer assistance to others who are also in the same situation. “The main aim of the NPO is to raise money for Willie’s day-to-day care, but we also want to help those who are in a similar position – not only the patients, but the families as well – by providing motivation, support, financial aid and much more.”
Willie also loves an outing, playing chess and reading books. “If we could get an electronic chess set for him and Asterix, Obelix and Tintin comics, we would appreciate it very much,” Fred said.
Fred added that Willie has been a great source of inspiration and motivation to him because, in spite of his circumstances, he has never lost his will to live. “This is where I learned that life is precious and can change in a flash, and, no matter how big the problem is, you should never give up. He’s a winner in my eyes!” he said with a smile.
The family has opened an account for Willie, which is curated by his sister, who is the only one who has access to it. The account details are: W T Hayward, Nedbank account number 2008519651, branch code 198765.
For more information about Willie’s needs, contact Fred at 083 209 0903, or visit his Facebook page at:
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