Jess didn’t realise the man she drove past every day on the side of the road was a hero in his own right, until she decided to ask him to share his story—one she deems the kind you tell your children about when you want to teach them what strength is. From the simple act of asking someone about their life instead of assuming, kindness would spiral in the most unforgettable way.
Cape Town, South Africa (26 March 2024) — Jess Searll had driven past Thabo for years; knowing him only through brief exchanges when she was able to give him some spare change. A man in a wheelchair who spends his days asking people for kindness through donations, Jess found herself wondering more pensively about what his story was as the time went on. And so, one day, she decided to ask him to share it with her.
Jess came to find that his name is Thabo Mothibi, and that his life wasn’t always this way.
“When Thabo was 30 years old, he was a healthy, happy man, working hard and earning a living,” Jess shares.
But this all changed when Thabo was a victim in a terrible train collision many years ago—an accident that would both shift his life and unlock his inner strength.
“Thabo woke up 3 days later in hospital with no legs and only one hand. He was to be wheelchair-bound for the remainder of his life. He cried for days. Then he realised he had a choice—to be strong in the mind or to give up,” Jess says.
Thabo became a fighter the moment he realised his outer-strength was not as important as his inner-strength. While he may not have had control over what happened to him, he did have control over his acceptance of it, and over his determination to push forward.
“With no legs and only one hand, he doesn’t have many choices available to him. But, when we spoke and I asked him what he wanted, he said he would like a job. Thabo is a fighter, he gets up everyday, rain or shine, and spends hours on the road asking for donations.”
Jess found herself inspired by how Thabo has coped with the cards life handed him.
“Living a life of poverty in a country that barely offers any support, how many people could do this? Yet he does, every single day. Thabo is the type of man you tell your children about to educate them on what true strength is. A story of daily triumph, overcoming immense pain and physical struggle without any family support or money,” says Jess.
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The fact that a job would be first prize for him, has also indicated that this is someone who seeks purpose and the power to be part of changing his own story.
In a story where determination begets determination, Jess was so touched by Thabo’s spirit of resilience to do the best he could instead of giving up, that she decided to share his story, and initiate a crowdfunding campaign for him.
Her first priorities are to help Thabo get essential household items (he does not have a toaster, oven or even a fridge) and to help him get his very own prosthetic arm. Currently, he relies on his only hand and his stump which is wrapped in thick bandages, and without an electric wheelchair, he has to use his stub to assist him in getting around.
In amazing news, Jess tells Good Things Guy that Thabo’s story has spread and touched many other hearts. R90 000 has been raised for him already!
“I have had people offering household items which he is desperate for and I am in the process of trying to set up an appointment for him to speak to a prosthetics specialist and another organisation that could potentially help him with employment,” she shares.
“I think the point is that I wanted people to see him, and people have been incredibly kind and generous!
“He is a hero for overcoming the worst possible situation. He really is an unbelievable person who never gave up, he never turned to drugs or to alcohol abuse, he never turned to theft, he never gave up even when his own government hardly helped him and turned their back on him. He deserves help now from those most fortunate to get him to a place where can be comfortable and live a life of dignity.”
The campaign is just 9% away from being successful, and you can share your kindness for Thabo here!
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