Mark Irwin, 59, was ordained as a pastor last August and one fateful month later, had to have his left leg amputated. The Shallcross housefather of a drug rehabilitation facility is now extending an urgent plea for assistance in raising funds towards a prosthetic leg which will help him carry out his duties.
He said: “I had medical issues that affected my legs since 2014 and with much help from doctors within the public sector since the issues began, they were able to save my leg.
“In September last year, I was informed by doctors at Inkosi Albert Luthuli Hospital that I had an occlusion. This meant that I had a blockage in my left leg, tampering with the blood flow and preventing blood from flowing from my knee to my foot.”
Irwin said that while he is grateful to the public sector for their assistance and treatment thus far, he is unable to wait for a prosthetic leg through the system which has a minimum waiting period of two years, and has therefore approached a private prosthetist for advice on getting a prosthetic leg.
“There is the possibility that because of my age, it may take a lot longer as younger patients would be more of a priority. The other factor is the knee mechanism which there is a shortage of, hence the waiting period as well. It was a humbling experience when I had approached Ugan Chetty of Advanced Orthotics and Prosthetics for advice and he was actually prepared to assist me with getting it done privately. I would only have to bear the manufacturing cost which amounts to R60 000 and he is prepared to waiver all other costs involved.
“When I had done my research, I was shocked at the cost, which is between R120 000 and R150 000. I am extremely thankful for his nobility and I am trying my hardest as well to save up but this is a challenge since I work for a non-profit organisation and collect a disability grant which goes straight into my savings for this prosthetic,” he said.
Irwin said that becoming mobile again is extremely important to him as it would make him more effective in helping patients in recovery from drugs and alcohol.
“As a housefather, I do need to move around a bit and currently I use a wheelchair as I have a fear of falling. It has become very frustrating for me as I cannot do some of the things that I want to do and it feels like I am in a taped-up box,” he said.
The prosthetist, Chetty, has confirmed that he will be assisting Irwin on his journey to getting a prosthetic leg and encourages the community to contribute towards his cause so that he can help more people in their recovery from drug and alcohol abuse.
Irwin has also created a BackaBuddy page to assist with donations. Director and chief operations officer of the organisation, Catherine Du Plooy, encouraged residents to make their contributions towards assisting Irwin.
She said: “We really hope that the community will get behind Mark and support his campaign. BackaBuddy provides a platform where all donations are transparent so you can see exactly how much has been raised and we ensure that all campaigns are legitimate.”
For more information on how to donate towards Irwin’s journey, contact him on 079-292-0182.
