The powerful voice of Mirror has done it again! It took just a few minutes to restore the dignity of Thomas Shivhishi (38) of Makonde, who was desperately in need of a wheelchair.

Thomas’s touching story was published in last week’s edition. Our phones never stopped ringing with calls from sympathetic Mirror readers who were willing to help. Thomas is now the proud owner of a brand new wheelchair, which was delivered to him the same day on which Mirror published his article - thanks to the kind hearts of the people at Thohoyandou Spar and the Wheelchair Foundation. Thohoyandou Spar also presented Thomas with groceries worth R500.

The ailing Thomas was diagnosed with TB meningitis (inflammation of membranes enclosing brain and spinal chord) in 1993. His health was so poor that he could not even lift the crutches which were his only hope of movement. Thomas had to crawl from his bed to a plastic chair next to his bed. He would then use his bare feet to clutch the floor and the chair to hop in the desired direction, taking more than 30 minutes to move a distance of three metres.

That is now part of history, because Mirror has brought hope to his life. Thomas could not afford to buy a wheelchair through his disability grant because he uses the money for survival. He has to hire people to cook, wash and clean for him because he stays alone.

A few minutes after Mirror hit the streets last Friday, the operations manager of Thohoyandou Spar, Captain Mashudu Mutangwa, called and arranged for the delivery of a brand new wheelchair and groceries to Thomas’s home. "We were deeply touched by his plight and we felt that we had to do something for him. He is one of our beloved community members and he has the right to enjoy life like anyone of us. It is the obligation of our company to give back to the community because they are our valued assets who made us what we are today. It is part of our job to make sure that people are enjoying life out there, despite their poor financial status. Our business grows when customers are healthy and we are also bound to contribute to the development of the community we serve."

Mutangwa said Thohoyandou Spar has a social responsibility programme to eradicate poverty and unemployment. "We have already seen this programme bearing fruits through partnerships with different stakeholders. Thomas is just one of our thousands of beneficiaries and we are still going to do more to uplift the standard of life in our communities."

Filled with immeasurable joy, Thomas thanked Mirror for helping him in realizing his dream of possessing a wheelchair. "Mirror has surely done wonders for me and I do not have enough words to thank them. I never thought my dream would become a reality, but I am filled with joy after what Mirror has done for me. This is something that I will never forget for the rest of my life. Mirror is a true voice for the voiceless and I pray that it keeps up the good work of uplifting the poor."

Thomas said he wanted to thank Thohoyandou Spar and the Wheelchair Foundation for their quick response. "I approached Mirror because I have seen many community members getting assistance through the paper. But after Thohoyandou Spar and the Wheelchair Foundation received my plea through Mirror, they did not hesitate to give me a quick response. What they have done needs to be praised and I thank them for their kind hearts."