George, Western Cape

Rachel Fourie

Good day, My mother, Rachel is 58 years old. My parents have been married for 40 years, and have had 3 biological kids, have one in foster care now (he is 16 now and has been with them in foster care since 8 months old), and have raised many more throughout their lives. Unfortunately the have lost their oldest son (my biological brother) in 2021, he died on his birthday turning 34 on 2 Oct 2021. My mother has been a house wife since I can remember. She has always put her children first, even other people's children. Unfortunately my parent have never been able to afford any type of medical aid/insurance, so when and if they need medical help, they need to go through clinics and state hospitals. This year my mother has been officially been diagnosed with high cholesterol and high blood pressure, and is now on chronic medication. After diagnosis, she has decided to stop smoking after an extremely long time. She is now on medication to help her to stop smoking, as she was smoking up to 60 cigarettes a day. As a result of her smoking for 30+ years, her teeth has disintegrated. It looks like her teeth are rotting from the gums, turning black, orange, brown and yellow. They have become so brittle, that pieces sometimes break off when she eats, but she just has to live with it. She cries regularly about her teeth, knowing they cannot afford to fix her teeth. She rarely leaves her house, about once every 2 weeks to visit her children. She doesn't want to go anywhere that requires her to speak to people because she feels ashamed of her teeth. It absolutely breaks my heart that I as her daughter cannot afford to help her. If I could have one wish for my mother, it would be to fix her teeth. She has done so much for many, and has given most of her life to help others. I just wish for once someone could help her, and make her feel human again. I really do hope that you would consider my mother as a nominee. I appreciate your time for reading her story!