Our Collaborative Partners
We are immensely grateful for the unwavering support, valuable assistance, and fruitful collaboration of our diverse partners. Together, we strive to deliver high-quality, accessible, and inclusive services to individuals with disabilities and their families in the Western Cape.
By uniting our efforts and working hand in hand, we champion inclusion for all!
CASE STUDY
From Darkness to Digital Dreams:
Marchall Fredericks’s Journey of Resilience and Opportunity
Location: Bella Vista, Western Cape
Focus: Inclusive Education & Employment Support
Theme: Empowerment through Accessibility and Opportunity
Background
Marchall Fredericks, a 37-year-old resident of Bella Vista in the Witzenberg Municipality in the Western Cape, embodies the transformative power of inclusion when it is backed by compassion, opportunity, and community support.
His journey, from life-threatening illness to academic pursuit, is a powerful reminder of what becomes possible when persons with disabilities are given the tools and encouragement to thrive. After completing matric at Bella Vista High School in 2007, Marchall had aspirations to study further following a gap year. However, like many young people, he was drawn into the demands of the working world, and his educational dreams were put on hold.
A decade later, in 2017, Marchall’s life took a devastating turn. He was diagnosed with CLIPPERS (Chronic Lymphocytic Inflammation with Pontine Perivascular Enhancement Responsive to Steroids), a rare and serious neurological condition that causes inflammation of the brain and spinal cord. The illness left him in a coma, paralysed, and fighting for survival.
“I don’t know where it came from. All my organs were affected. I was in ICU for two months and my heart stopped twice. When I came out of the coma, I was paralysed too”, Marchall recalls.
Recovery and Resilience
Marchall’s recovery was long and arduous. With the help of physiotherapy and sheer determination, he slowly regained mobility, first with crutches, then with growing strength. The medication that helped manage his condition came with side effects, including blurred vision, and he eventually reduced his reliance on it under medical guidance.
Despite the physical and emotional toll, Marshall never lost sight of his dream to study Information Technology. However, the financial burden of his illness made further education seem out of reach until a chance encounter with the Witzenburg APD office opened a new door.
The Turning Point: Inclusion in Action
While searching for employment, Marchall visited the APD office in Panorama Street. Though not yet a member, his visit marked the beginning of a new chapter. Months later, when Perdekraal Windfarm approached APD seeking to support a person with a disability who aspired to study, Marchall’s name was put forward.
He was awarded a full bursary to study IT at Boston College, a life-changing opportunity that reignited his academic ambitions and gave him the means to support his 14-year-old son.
“I am very thankful for the bursary. I will do my best to succeed. I am also thankful to the Lord for affording me this opportunity”, he said.
