When he outgrew his old chair, Elijah’s family knew that he would need a lightweight, custom-fit wheelchair designed specifically for his growing body and active spirit. Paediatric wheelchair fundraising in South Africa is quite a niche crowdfunding category to most people, but Elijah’s family knew they would find a community of support on BackaBuddy. And within weeks of launching their campaign, donors came together to raise almost R40,000.
On International Wheelchair Day, 6-year-old Elijah received something life-changing. To most of us, we might see his new wheelchair and think, “nice,” before moving on. But this wheelchair is giving Elijah something most of us take for granted every day: the freedom of movement. Elijah could finally return to school safely, move confidently, and keep up with the speed he loves so much.
Elijah’s story highlights something most able-bodied people don’t realise: Not all wheelchairs are created equally, and for children, a custom-fit wheelchair is not a luxury; it’s a necessity.
Why a “Standard” Wheelchair Often Isn’t Enough for a Child
Paediatric wheelchairs are fundamentally different from adult-sized, generic, or hospital-issued chairs. Children are still growing, and their bodies change rapidly. Additionally, their posture, spine alignment, muscle tone, and balance all require careful support. When a child’s wheelchair is poorly fitted, it can:
Cause long-term spinal damage
Create pressure sores
Limit independence
Increase risk of tipping or injury
Restrict participation in school and sport
Lead to secondary health complications
Elijah’s previous chair was heavy, unstable, and, for a six-year-old little boy who loves independence, that matters. By securing a custom paediatric wheelchair, Elijah’s family were able to give him a mobility aid that:
Matched this exact measurements
Offered him better balance
Supports his posture and muscle development
Allows for safe mobility when he’s at school and outdoors
Grows and adjusts with his body
For children like Elijah, mobility is the foundation of their development. It builds up their confidence and allows them to participate and get involved in and outside of school.
Environmental Barriers & Paediatric Wheelchairs
Elijah’s story isn’t unique. Earlier this year, Sikholelwe’s campaign, Keep Her in School: The Segway Challenge, highlighted another side of the same issue. Living in a rural area with thick beach sand and no accessible transport, Sikholelwe’s standard wheelchair simply couldn’t cope. This meant that her mother had to carry her to school every day. A school that is 3kms away from her home. Without a solution, she risked dropping out entirely.
The answer arrived in the form of an adapted Segway. Custom-built through AddMobility in the UK, the mobility aid is capable of navigating sand, rural terrain, and long distances independently. Her campaign raised over R161,000 to secure that life-changing equipment. Read more about Sikholelwe’s campaign.
Why Are Custom Paediatric Wheelchairs in South Africa So Expensive?
The public health system in South Africa often cannot cover the high costs associated with these specialised wheelchairs. And caregivers with medical insurance know that most only partially fund them. This leaves families scrambling to find ways to bridge that financial gap. If you’re wondering why these mobility aids are so costly, the answer is surprisingly simple:
Their lightweight frames are made from high-end aluminium or titanium
The seating systems are typically customised which requires more time and skill from the manufacturer
They’re designed to adjust as the child grows, making them a long-term investment
Most come with built-in postural support cushions made from high quality materials
The unique anti-tip safety mechanisms require highly skilled manufacturing
Some paediatric wheelchairs have special wheels for difficult terrain
Often parts are not locally manufactured and need to be imported from Europe and America
Remember: Before reaching out to an organisation for assistance, ensure that you’ve consulted with an occupational therapist, a rehabilitation specialist or a paediatric physiotherapist. Clinical assessments will ensure that your child’s wheelchair is right for their needs.
5 Steps to Help You Raise Funds for a Wheelchair on BackaBuddy
Wheelchair campaigns perform particularly well on BackaBuddy because the need is clear, the fundraising outcome is tangible and donors can easily see the impact their support will have. If you’re thinking about starting a crowdfunding campaign for a wheelchair, here are five tips that will set you up for success.
1. Explain Why the Current Chair Isn’t Suitable
Be specific about why the current wheelchair is no longer suitable. When drafting your fundraising story, consider your child’s growth, the impact their current wheelchair has on their development, their access to education and their safety. If you’re unsure of where to start, take a look at this example from Sikholelwe’s campaign:
Sikholelwe’s mom carries her to school and back daily. But she is getting older and Sikholelwe is getting heavier! Without a transport solution soon, Sikholelwe runs the risk of dropping out of school.
Her current rural three wheeler wheelchair negotiates short bits of sand grudgingly, and cannot even be dragged backwards for 3km (it is easier to piggy back her). The current ‘motorized’ power chairs do not even cope with a little bit of sand. The family is too poor to maintain any donated quadbike or vehicle and live 35km from the closest mechanic or fuel station. But they have electricity. And the area is very remote and safe.
2. Break Down the Costs
Donors love transparency because it builds trust., They want to know that there’s a real person behind the campaign with very real needs. Elijah’s family included a copy of the quote they received for the wheelchair they needed and Sikholelwe’s campaign contextualized her story, the challenges she faced, and what was needed perfectly using videos, images and text. If you’re not sure where to start, consider the basics, for example:
Base chair price
Custom seating adjustments
Import or shipping fees
Therapy assessments
3. Share Photos or Video
Visual aids help tell your story and bring donors closer to your world, and your needs. In addition to the practical images like quotes and medical bills, include pictures that highlight the current limitation you’re facing. Record a video, load it on YouTube and share the link to your campaign page.
Top Tip: If you’re unsure how to embed videos on your BackaBuddy campaign page, this guide will help.
4. Highlight Independence
Reading Elijah’s story and the learning more about what his new wheelchair made possible is a wonderful example of what freedom of movement means for children with a disability. His campaign, like Sikholelwe’s was about funding independence. That’s why easier access to mobility aids matter so much.
5. Share Campaign Milestones Milestones
Another great way to keep your donors engaged is through campaign updates. You can update your donors directly on your BackaBuddy page. We understand that the emotional cost of trying to secure help for your child is time consuming but if you can make a little time to share an update, it helps so much. Not only do they keep your fundraising momentum going, they also bring your donors into your world, which encourages repeated giving and more shares. Here are a few key moments to note when thinking about when to update your donors.
25% funded: At this point, you’re a quarter of the way there. Thank the donors who have already given and remind your community of what the funds raised will enable.
Order placed: That first moment when you finally feel the relief after ordering the wheelchair is so powerful. You could record a short video, share a picture of the shipping update, or just write a few words to let donors know that the miracle they helped fund is on the way.
Chair received: This is perhaps the best moment to film a video or take loads of pictures. The relief of ordering the chair has passed and now it’s finally arrived, share that joy with the people who made it possible.
First day back at school: This is the true impact of the support your campaign has received, not the funds raised, but what those funds made possible. Let your donors know it went, share the little moments as you fumbled to assemble the chair or the confusion when you first read those usage instructions.
People didn’t show up for you because you needed the money, they showed up because they wanted to be part of a life-changing story. Campaign updates are how you tell that story.
One Last Thing Before You Go
If your child, or someone in your community, needs a specialised wheelchair, know that you are not alone. Thousands of South Africans have rallied behind mobility campaigns on BackaBuddy, proving that when the need is clear and the impact is visible, people respond. Because every child deserves a chair that keeps up with their spirit.
Randburg, South Africa: An extraordinary wave of community support has emerged following the passing of David Sejobe, a long-serving front-of-house security officer at the MultiChoice Randburg office, whose warmth, kindness, and humanity left a lasting impression on all who encountered him.
In response to his passing, colleagues and community members launched a BackaBuddy crowdfunding campaign to support the Sejobe family during this time of loss. Within just three days, the campaign raised over R400,000, surpassing its original R20,000 goal by more than 2,000%, through contributions from over 1,038 unique donors, reflecting the profound impact David had on those around him.
David had been a familiar and cherished presence at the MultiChoice Randburg office since 2015. Known for his welcoming smile and genuine care for others, he consistently created moments of connection that went far beyond his professional role. For many colleagues and visitors, David was a daily source of encouragement, someone who made people feel seen, valued, and uplifted.
Tributes shared by donors describe him as a “ray of sunshine”, a deeply selfless individual, and a man whose compassion and faith guided the way he treated others. Many contributors noted that even brief interactions with David left a lasting impression, underscoring how quietly and consistently he lived out his values.
The funds raised through the campaign will assist with any additional expenses, as well as provide immediate support to David’s family as they navigate the emotional and practical realities of their loss. Organisers emphasise that the campaign was created to ensure the family does not face this difficult period alone.
While the financial goal was modest, the response has been overwhelming, transforming the campaign into a collective act of remembrance and solidarity. The scale of support has offered comfort not only to the family, but also to colleagues and community members seeking a meaningful way to honour David’s life.
With 11 days remaining in the campaign, organisers continue to encourage those who are able to contribute or share the campaign, noting that every gesture of support helps sustain the family in the weeks ahead.
To support the Family, visit the BackaBuddy campaign link here: https://www.backabuddy.co.za/campaign/supporting-the-sejobe-family-in-memory-of-david
When generosity moves across categories, visibility matters more than ever.
When someone donates on BackaBuddy, it can feel like a single act.
One campaign.
One story.
One moment.
But generosity on our platform is never isolated. At any given time, thousands of campaigns across multiple categories are being supported, different communities, different needs, different seasons of urgency. What donors don’t always see, unless we show them – is the broader ecosystem their contribution strengthens. And that visibility matters. Because trust is not built through a single update. It is built through consistent, category-wide transparency.
The Bigger Picture: Category-Level Momentum
Behind every individual campaign sits a wider network of care. Since the beginning of the year, donations have flowed across health, education, sport, memorial campaigns, animal welfare, and disaster response, each one reinforcing platform-wide trust.
Here’s a snapshot of what that momentum looks like:
Animal welfare campaigns consistently show that donors step up for lives that cannot ask for help themselves.
Milestone-based updates, rescues completed, relocations finalised, rehabilitation underway – matter because outcomes are tangible.
Why Updates Strengthen Trust
When donors can see:
How support is flowing across categories
Which causes are gaining momentum
Where urgency is concentrated
How stories evolve after the initial donation
They understand something important: They are part of something larger than a single transaction.
Category-level transparency helps:
Reinforce trust in the platform
Reduce uncertainty
Encourage repeat giving
Normalise asking for help
Demonstrate measurable scale
Visibility reduces hesitation. It turns first-time donors into long-term supporters.
Moving Beyond Individual Updates
Individual campaign updates remain essential. But we are strengthening something alongside them: ecosystem visibility. Because when a donor supports a medical campaign, they are also:
Strengthening category credibility
Contributing to platform-wide trust signals
Encouraging other families to seek help
Increasing the likelihood of repeat giving
Every donation strengthens more than one story. And donors deserve to see that.
What This Means Going Forward
We are committed to ensuring that:
Donors are never left in silence
Updates reflect both individual and broader impact
Category trends are visible
Nationally amplified stories are shared
Impact is contextualised, not isolated
Trust is not built through one update. It is built through consistency.
A Final Reflection
Across medical support, education, sport, memorial campaigns, animal welfare, and the many others, thousands of acts of generosity have already moved through BackaBuddy this year.
Each one mattered.
But what matters just as much is that donors understand the scale of what they are part of.
Transparency is not about volume.
It is about clarity, consistency, and showing donors exactly how their generosity fits into something bigger.
Thank you for helping us build a culture of transparent, people-powered giving.
For most parents, those words would bring relief. For Matthew and Jenny Sanan, they became the most frightening sentence they would hear again and again.
Because when your child is still having seizures, sometimes dozens a day, “normal” doesn’t mean healthy. It means unanswered questions. It means living in the dark.
This is the reality that the Sanan family and their son, Declan, have lived with for the past ten years.
Meet Declan
Declan (soon to be 12 in May this year) is the bravest person his parents know, but more than that, he is kind.
He has a warm, gentle nature, the kind that draws people in instantly. He loves playing Fortnite and Roblox, practises Taekwondo, and has a quiet determination that defines who he is. His parents describe his greatest strength simply as “trying.”
Declan has seizures. He recovers. And then he gets up and wants to carry on living. “That’s his superpower,” Matthew says. “He never gives up.”
A Childhood Marked by Waiting
Declan’s seizures began when he was just two years old.
What followed was a decade of searching, endless hospital visits, tests, scans, genetic investigations, and late nights filled with fear and exhaustion. Each seizure brought the same unspoken question: What damage is this doing?
And still, the answers never came.
“You live with this constant, quiet desperation,” the couple explains. “You’re always hoping the next doctor might see something the others missed.”
But scan after scan came back the same. Normal.
Why ‘Normal’ Was the Hardest Result
People assume a normal scan is good news. For families like Declan’s, it’s the opposite.
“When your child is suffering, ‘normal’ just means we don’t know what’s wrong,” Matthew says. “Finding something, even something scary, would have given us hope. It would have meant there was a target. An end in sight.”
Instead, normal meant waiting. And darkness.
A Breakthrough That Changed Everything
Late one night, driven by desperation and hope in equal measure, Matthew searched online for new answers. He typed in four words: “AI in epilepsy.”
That search led him to the MELD Project, an experimental research initiative overseas. Matthew shared Declan’s story and sent through his son’s scans, scans that had been called “perfect” for years.
The first response came back uncertain. A low-confidence signal. Matthew thanked them, then mentioned something else: Declan had undergone seven MRIs over his lifetime. Could they look at all of them?
Weeks later, the answer came. The same hidden signal appeared in five out of seven scans.
Without showing the AI results, the team shared Declan’s scans with a world-renowned specialist. He spotted it too, becoming the first human to see what had been missed for a decade.
For the first time, there was clarity. For the first time, there was a plan.
From One Child to Many
That moment changed everything.
“If technology could find something that had been missed for ten years,” Matthew realised, “how many other children are still sitting with ‘normal’ scans, waiting in the dark?”
That question became the heart of Project Unseen.
Matthew began building his own system, not as a finished solution, but as a foundation. A way to give doctors another set of eyes. A way to help turn “incurable” into “treatable.”
Why the Community Stepped In
The technology needed to do this work isn’t simple, or cheap. It requires serious computing power, far beyond what most families or hospitals can access.
Matthew made a deliberate choice: instead of keeping this work overseas or private, he turned to the community. Crowdfunding allowed Project Unseen to be built here, for South African patients, alongside local doctors and researchers.
And the response was extraordinary.
The campaign didn’t just reach its goal, it surpassed it, raising over R200,000 from people who believed in the possibility of change. Every cent will be paid directly to the equipment supplier. The machine itself will be a shared community resource, dedicated to helping doctors flag what the human eye might miss.
What Hope Looks Like Now
Project Unseen is still in its early stages. Matthew is careful to manage expectations.
“This isn’t a finished tool yet,” he says. “Right now, I’m building the engine.”
But the vision is clear: a future where families don’t wait ten years for answers. Where “normal” doesn’t end the conversation. Where hope arrives sooner.
For parents still searching, Matthew and Jenny have one message:
“Pray. Trust your gut. If you feel there’s an answer out there, don’t stop looking. Technology is moving fast, and there is always hope.”
Turning the Lights On
Declan’s journey is still unfolding. Plans are being made. Steps are being taken. But because of one child, one family, and a community that chose to believe, the lights are beginning to turn on for others too.
For Tyrone Flanagan, cycling has never just been about speed or competition.
At 26 years old, the Boksburg-based cyclist describes himself as disciplined and quietly determined, someone who finds clarity and purpose on the road. Cycling, he says, is where he processes life, pushes his limits, and learns what consistency and commitment can achieve over time.
In December 2025, that personal space of growth became something much bigger.
It became Smiles for Miles, a 1600-kilometre, 10-day cycling journey from Boksburg to St Helena Bay, powered by faith, purpose, and a desire to give back.
When Purpose Meets the Road
Smiles for Miles didn’t come from months of planning or careful deliberation. For Tyrone, it was a moment of clarity.
“There wasn’t a long build-up,” he explains. “It was one of those moments where you just know you have to do something.”
He felt a strong pull to use something he loved, cycling, to create impact beyond himself. The journey would test his physical limits, yes, but more importantly, it would be a way to turn effort into meaning.
Half of the funds raised would go to Mercy Haven Ubuntu House, a safe haven for women and children affected by gender-based violence. The remaining funds would help cover essential costs of the ride and support Tyrone’s upcoming racing season.
Ten Days. Endless Lessons.
From 22 to 31 December, Tyrone rode day after day through towns, farmlands, and vast Karoo landscapes, covering distances that would challenge even seasoned endurance athletes.
The ride was intense, rewarding, and very real.
“The biggest challenges weren’t always physical,” Tyrone says. “A lot of it was the logistics behind the scenes, recovery, planning, timing, and making sure I could show up the next day ready to ride again.”
Day 9 stands out most vividly: 199 kilometres between Calvinia and Clanwilliam, battling relentless wind and unforgiving hills.
“That day demanded everything,” he recalls.
Yet it was often the quieter moments that left the deepest mark, passing through small Karoo towns, experiencing the openness and simplicity of community life, waking early to see game along the road, and pushing through his longest-ever distance of 240 kilometres between Bothaville and Boshof.
And then there was Day 10.
Arriving in St Helena Bay, the final destination, after ten days on the road.
“That moment stays with you,” Tyrone says simply.
Why Mercy Haven Ubuntu House Matters
Tyrone didn’t choose Mercy Haven Ubuntu House by chance.
Their work, supporting women and children affected by gender-based violence, aligns deeply with his faith and values. To him, it’s about restoring dignity, safety, and hope where it has been stripped away.
There is also a deeply personal connection. Tyrone’s mother works as a counsellor at Mercy Haven Ubuntu House, and through her, he has seen firsthand the impact the organisation has on lives marked by trauma.
“Knowing the physical effort had a purpose beyond personal achievement made the hard days easier,” he shares. “It reminded me that endurance isn’t just about pushing through pain, it’s about standing for something bigger than yourself.”
A Journey Rooted in Social Justice
As the story of Smiles for Miles is shared around World Day of Social Justice, its message feels especially relevant.
For Tyrone, social justice is about dignity.
“It’s about ensuring that people are seen, protected, and valued,” he says.
Smiles for Miles connected awareness to action, using physical endurance to shine a light on real issues and to support organisations doing meaningful, often unseen work on the ground.
Quiet Change, Lasting Impact
The journey has changed Tyrone, not in loud or dramatic ways, but in steady, lasting ones.
It reinforced humility, patience, and gratitude. It showed him what’s possible through consistency as a cyclist, and what growth can look like when you keep going even when you’re tired, uncomfortable, and unsure.
And this isn’t the end.
“This feels like the start of something ongoing,” he says. Tyrone hopes to invite others into future challenges, combining cycling, awareness, and giving back, through rides, mentorship, fundraising, and community engagement.
Still Riding Together
To date, 44 donors have supported Smiles for Miles, helping turn kilometres into care and effort into hope for the women and children of Mercy Haven Ubuntu House.
Smiles for Miles is more than a ride.
It’s a reminder that when purpose meets action, even the longest road can lead to meaningful change, and that sometimes, the most powerful journeys are the ones we ride together.
