Good Morning Angels: Helping a 20-year-old to get back on her feet and walking again

GOOD MORNING ANGELS 23 NOVEMBER 2016 (MEGHAN/KNEE)

REQUEST FOR: Meghan Basson

ANGEL: Matron Constance Majeke and Marlise de Wilde

SPONSORING: The Netcare Pinehaven Hospital and Dr de Wilde and his colleagues will do Meghan’s knee surgery and treatment, free of charge.

BACKGROUND: Meghan Basson is 20 years old. She currently works as a waitress, while she is making plans for the rest of her life. She should be carefree and in the prime of her life but Meghan has been in pain, for the past two years, when a fun evening at the ice rink, changed her life in a moment. Meghan has a particularly terrible fall on the ice, and was knocked out “cold” for several hours. Her one knee was badly broken and she’s not been able to have it treated properly. Meghan asked Good Morning Angels to help her find relief. She needs a knee replacement and has no medical aid, while the state facility has not been able to help for two years. The pain is unbearable and then we got an offer in the [email protected] mailbox.

ORIGINAL OFFER:

Good Morning,

I work for an orthopedic Surgeon at Wilgeheuwel, we also work from Pinehaven Hospital in Krugersdorp. 

We would like to get involved in this project and help someone to get a much needed replacement. 

The surgeon is: Dr I de Wilde. We specialise in shoulder, knee and hip arthroscopes and replacements. 

You can please contact me.  

Kindest regards,

Lientjie Coetzee

ORIGINAL REQUEST:

Good morning, 

I fell about two years ago and broke my knee while ice-skating, getting a nasty concussion that left me out for nearly three hours (I know – it sounds funny, but it was horrifying).

I could not remember anything - like how it happened, how I got in the medics room and so on. I woke up to find a very swollen knee that was turning blue and yellow from the fall. They had to cut off my pants since my knee was swelling so bad they could not get it off. I was 18 back then – I am now almost 20. I have been walking with pain for nearly two years. My knee cap is broken and badly injured, cross ligaments are torn and I have excessive pain (according to the medics who helped me that day). I can no longer walk up or down stairs without my knee pinching my muscles. I suffer during winter. I have no medical aid and both my parents are unemployed. I am the breadwinner for my family and I make enough money to pay for food, rent and petrol to get from my home to work.

I fell three times in the past two years, hurting my knee again – and there is now a constant pinching inside my knee. I was an amazing athlete in matric doing everything except high jump. I missed out on my last season because of this injury. I was just a spectator, watching as my friends had fun. I fell down from three steps when I was on my way home and now it hurts to just touch it. Again the medics came to me and this time they said that it will just be bruised. I went to the doctor who did the shoulder operation for my boyfriend and just out of curiosity I asked him to take a look. He said that my knee’s injury caused that the femur and the tibia to no longer be supported by the ligaments (as they are torn) and that is why when I climb the stairs or sometimes walk a bit fast, these two bones pinch the nerves and muscles around it.

I drink pain medication to get rid of the pain and it lasts for about an hour and then the pain returns.

I don’t know if this is the right way to go at this, but I need the help of Good Morning Angels. Please Jacaranda, I have been waiting for two years to receive help and yet I am still walking with a broken knee. 

I don’t have the finances to pay for the pre-care, operation, aftercare or medication. I listen to you every day and I have been trying to get hold of you for a while. 

I hope that you can help me, as this has become a matter of urgency.

Kind regards,

Meghan Basson