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Not disabled, but ‘differently-abled’

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Busisiwe Fuyane is a 34-year-old woman who was born with Muscular Dystrophy (MD) – a group of diseases that cause progressive weakness and loss of muscle mass and often leads to one losing the ability to walk. She is the last of four siblings

Busisiwe Fuyane is a 34-year-old woman who was born with Muscular Dystrophy (MD) – a group of diseases that cause progressive weakness and loss of muscle mass and often leads to one losing the ability to walk. She is the last of four siblings. The second born in her family passed away at age of nine after battling the same disorder. Despite her condition, Busisiwe is an astute businesswoman with several ventures under her belt. These include biltong production and distribution, poultry and beekeeping. In her spare time Busi (BF) enjoys reading, cooking, watching inspirational movies, listening to gospel music and socialising. NewsDay (ND) caught up with her and she spoke about her living with the condition.

ND: Busi, thank you for affording us the opportunity to talk to you about what life is like for you in this condition. BF: Thank you so much for having me. It’s a blessing for me to share my story with you all and I pray it will be a blessing to you too.

ND: Your strength and zest for living life to the full despite the MD which has left you wheelchair-bound is amazing. Where does this strength come from? BF: It comes from God and the strength and support I get from my family and friends.

ND: There is something that caught my attention as I was going through your background preparing for this interview. You prefer the term “differently-abled” as compared to the commonly used term “disabled”. Can you shed more light on this? BF: Well, I feel the term disabled carries negative connotations of not being able to “do” things. However, I’m able to “do” things, (although) differently from what you would call normal. In the same way that some people wear glasses to read, some are left-handed; I have a wheelchair to get around. All in all, we are all “differently-abled” in certain aspects.

ND: I understand you lost a big brother to the same condition when he was just nine. How did this loss impact on the family and you as an individual? BF: When my brother passed away I was just a few months old. However, his passing affected my family greatly. My parents had to deal with the loss of a child and raising a new born who had also been diagnosed with MD. It was stressful in that they feared the same would happen again, but at the same time they had to continue having faith in God that he would look after me.

ND: You talk glowingly of your childhood and upbringing. Tell us a bit about growing up as a child with MD? BF: Growing up was fun. I had a few obstacles in that I was often in and out of hospital, which meant I missed out on parts of my childhood. During the times when I wasn’t in hospital, I was able to make friends with other children in our neighbourhood and I played the same games they played and was treated just like one of them. Luckily for me, most of my cousins are around my age and I often played with them during the school holidays.

ND: It seems your parents were determined to treat you the same as your siblings. How did this impact the way you viewed yourself? BF: It made me see myself like any other child, in the sense that I never received special treatment despite being differently abled. When I was naughty and got caught, I knew a hiding would follow for me as well.

ND: Despite starting school at age of eight due to health complications, you still excelled… BF: As a student at King George, I learnt a very valuable motto which is, “Disability does not mean inability”. This brings me back to referring to myself and others as being “differently abled” as we are not unable.

ND: We know that our families can only do so much to protect us from the harsh realities of this world. Do you recall any nasty experiences that you encountered with strangers and those who did not understand your condition? BF: When I was younger, my sister and I would often go to the local shops to buy bread. However, on one occasion when we went there was a new security guard at the door who refused to let both of us in. He suggested my sister leave me outside because my wheelchair would block the way for other customers. Of course, my sister refused and complained to his manager who came and let us in. After this incident I never saw that particular guard again.

ND: What positive life lessons did you draw from that negative experience? BF: That there is a great lack of knowledge and understanding about wheelchair users.

ND: Have you ever had moments when you questioned God about being born “differently abled”? How did you eventually find peace? BF: Yes I have at times found myself questioning why God allowed that l be born this way. But then, I look back at my life and all the times that I was in hospital and never thought I would make it home alive but he brought me home. I am thankful and grateful. With this I am able to accept his will in my life and although he created me “differently-abled”, he also gave me all the provisions that I need.

ND: You truly are an inspiration to women, including the “differently-abled”. This has been a great, informative and certainly enlightening session. BF: Thank you. I hope I have shed new light and a better understanding on life in the perspective of a “differently-abled” person in a positive way.