My wife and  I are the proud  foster  parents of a five year old boy.

Bucko, as we call him, has not had the best life. He was born into this world an able bodied baby boy, this was short lived. At 3 months old,  Bucko suffered severe abuse at the hands of someone who was meant to be his protector. Due to the trauma inflicted on him,  he can't walk, or talk. Currently at 5 years old, his brain capacity is that of a two year old, which is a drastic development, as when he first came to live with us a year ago, his capacity was likened to that of a seven month old.

This beautiful boy entered our lives 3 years ago. We met him and fell in love. The deeper in love we fell the harder it was for us to accept that he'd be institutionalized for the rest of his life

Unfortunately due to my wife being well into her  50ies and myself well into  my 60ies, adoption was out of the question due to Child Welfare regulations, but when we heard there was a possibility of fostering him, we jumped at it. It has been full of challenges, moving cupboards in his room, building wheel chair ramps and singing nursery rhymes I never thought I'd hear  again.

Bucko has been in our home for over a year now. Our house is full of giggles and smiles and wet  nappies. He loves to "sing", bounce and bath and boy oh boy does he love to eat? His development has been amazing because of the one on one time my wife and  I are able to provide. And heres the crunch: he  has grown so  heavy that it is now a struggle for my wife and  I to get him into and out of the bath.

That is where all you lovely, big-hearted people come in. We are looking to raise R28 000 in order to purchase an Aqualift bath lift, not only to save what is left of our backs but also to make sure Bucks is safely moved from his wheelchair to the bath and back.

We ask thus, with the best intentions, for your contributions no matter how big or how small, to help us with the lastest challenge.

Many Thanks

Mike and Ros