Alberton Record
Paraplegic teenager does not allow his physical condition to weigh him down
Meet Alberton-based teenager Kamogelo Sodi who lives a life of a paraplegic. The 14-year-old lives a happy life despite his physical condition.
In 2016, at the tender age of six, Kamogelo Sodi was involved in a devastating car crash.
The car crash left him with fractures in the lumbar region of his spine, resulting in complete paraplegia. However, Kamogelo cooks for himself when he is hungry and loves looking after his three little brothers. He plays basketball and does all these basic things from the comfort of his wheelchair.
Kamogelo was stuck in the hospital for almost six months after the accident, in the rehabilitation unit of the healthcare centre. While there, he learned how to cope with his physical condition and embarked on a journey towards accepting and learning to cope with the new and difficult transition in his life.
“Since being in a wheelchair, I have become more confident. I was previously extremely shy, and I did not have a lot of friends, but now I have loads of friends,” said the bubbly teenager.
Kamogelo also enjoys listening to music, chatting with friends on social media, and works hard at school to reach his dream of becoming a neurosurgeon one day.
His mother Reshoketswe, who is a radiation therapist, says the enduring care of the doctors, occupational therapists, and physiotherapists helped support her son.
“It was important for me that he continued his schoolwork while at the hospital. When the social worker asked me what I wanted to happen, the first thing I said was that I didn’t want to break the routine of what he had been doing and that I wanted him to continue with school,” said Reshoketswe.
Commenting on his stay in the hospital, Kamogelo said: “When I first got to the hospital, I was lost. I didn’t know how to use a wheelchair. I was still so young. But they were so kind and taught me everything I needed to know.”
Kamogelo says he was taught how to transfer himself from a wheelchair to a car. Difficult as it was, he learned to push himself around in a wheelchair and refused when people offered to assist him.
When he is not at school, he loves going around the estate he lives in, getting fresh air, and being a good big brother to his three siblings. “They are a handful, but what can I say – they’re my brothers, and I love them,” he said with a laugh.
He says he is serious about pursuing a career in neurosurgery and that makes him focused on school work.
