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03 May 2019 | Story Xolisa Mnukwa
David Cuads
The Johannesburg High Court Judiciary Chambers donated a new wheelchair to David Phakoa Mashape from the UFS.
The Johannesburg High Court Judiciary Chambers contacted the University of the Free State (UFS) Center for Universal Access and Disability Support (CUADS), expressing their desire to donate some wheelchairs to Kovsies in need. 

David Mashape, UFS Corporate and Marketing Communication student, heard the news and did not hesitate to show his keenness to possibly receive the wheelchair. He was soon after contacted by CUADS; Free State High Court Judge, Pitso Molitsoane, personally delivered the wheelchair to David at the UFS CUADS offices in April 2019.

David explained that he had been saving up for a new wheelchair for a while, as his own was quickly wearing out.  He further mentioned that he has aspirations to play wheelchair track sports, including wheelchair racing and wheelchair rugby, and that he can now focus his savings on purchasing himself a brand-new racing wheelchair, courtesy of the generous donation from the Johannesburg High Court Judiciary Chambers. 

As stipulated in their operative mandate, CUADS strives to facilitate, create opportunities for, and enhance students’ critical thought and ways of being that are consistent with human rights and the principles of social justice. This mandate is evident in the small every-day victories, such as David’s, facilitated by the department to ensure humanising daily lived experiences essential to cultivate student academic success, social engagement, and cohesive institutional culture.



News Archive

Medical team performs first hybrid procedure in the Free State
2014-12-08

The days when a heart operation meant hours in an operating theatre, with weeks and even months of convalescing, will soon be something of the past.

A team of cardiologists from the University of the Free State’s (UFS) Faculty of Health Sciences once again made medical history when they performed the first hybrid procedure in the Free State.

The Department of Paediatric Cardiology, in conjunction with the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, performed this very successful procedure on a 45-year-old woman from Kuruman.

During the procedure of 30 minutes, the patient’s thorax was opened up through a mini thoracotomy to operate on the beating heart.

“The patient received an artificial valve in 2011. Due to infection, a giant aneurism developed from the left ventricle, next to the aorta. Surgery would pose a very high risk to the patient. Furthermore, her health was such that it would contribute to problems during open-heart surgery,” explains Prof Stephen Brown, Head of the UFS’s Department of Paediatric Cardiology.

“After the heart was opened up through a mini thoracotomy, the paediatric cardiologists performed a direct puncture with a needle to the left ventricle cavity. A Special sheath was then placed in the left ventricle to bypass the catheters. Aided by highly advanced three-dimensional echocardiography and dihedral X-ray guidance, the opening to the aneurism, located directly below the artificial aorta valve, was identified and the aneurism cannulated.”
 
During the operation, a special coil, called a Nester Retractor, was used for the first time on a patient in South Africa to obtain stasis of extravasation and ensure the stability of devices in the aneurism.

“This is highly advanced and specialist work, as we had to make sure that the aneurism doesn’t rupture during manipulation and the devices had to be positioned in such a way that it doesn’t cause obstruction in valve function or the coronary artery. The surgical team was ready all the time to switch the patient to the heart-lung machine should something go wrong, but the procedure was very successful and the patient was discharged after a few days.”

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