Wheels for Morné
2008-06-26
Marguerite Lombard
LOCAL teenager Morné Vermeulen (15) may soon be the only learner in Wellington to get permission to drive to school on a quadbike. Morné is no ordinary teenager. He was born without legs and has had to learn to get around by moving on his hands, and by depending on others to help him manoeuvre his wheelchair over difficult terrain. Just getting to school required an enormous effort which commenced in the mornings with almost a kilometre of rough farm track, just to get to the bus stop. The purchase of the quadbike was made possible by international and local donations. There was not a dry eye to be found amongst the well-wishers who gathered last Thursday at a local dealership to present Morné with his new set of wheels. Morné was speechless, but later confessed to being very nervous. “I really did not know what to expect, and was really scared they would ask me to make a speech. “The bike is so great, I can’t wait to show my friends at school!” Last year Morné decided to raise funds for a new motorised wheelchair, and this set off an extraordinary chain of events. He drew the attention of Stephanie Henderson of “Ma’s vir Wellington” who also began to help him to collect funds. Then in April, after reading about Morné in the Paarl Post, Marnelle Helling of Monte Christo Ministries in Paarl decided that they too wanted to help. “We were so moved by Morné’s story, and included the report in a newsletter we sent out to 600 subscribers in the United States. “Three couples from Washington, California and Texas responded and we immediately got in touch with Stephanie, Morné and his mother Anna to discuss Morné’s options. “We soon realised that what Morné really wanted was a quadbike that could cope with more rugged terrain on the farm where his family lives.” The Hellings, not knowing much about quadbikes and being relatively new in Paarl, decided to pay a visit to the dealership closest to their home. There they met the sales manager, Leon Nel, who had previously owned a cycle shop in Wellington, and not only knew of Morné, but was also keen to help. He was able to arrange for a discounted price, gave up some of his own commission on the sale, and donated a helmet and some extra fittings to accommodate Morné’s disability. The balance of the funds collected by the Wellington community will be used to buy additional protective clothing and contribute towards the bike’s maintenance, fuel and running costs. “What moves me most,” says Stephanie, “is that so many people became involved. “Everybody wanted to contribute something, no matter how large or small, to help Morné gain some independence.”
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