26 June 2025 by Limpho Sello

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Flat on his back, 27-year-old K’humbulani Nono lies motionless on a blue airbed, his eyes fixed on the roofing above.

In moments, he will be lifted—gently, painfully—by neighbours who have become lifelines. Together, they will begin a gruelling three-hour journey on foot to Lebakeng Health Centre, navigating steep terrain and rocky footpaths.

For Nono, every bump, every jolt is a cruel reminder of the tragic car accident in Melikane, Qacha’s Nek, that changed his life forever in May 2024. The crash left him with a severe cervical spine injury.

Just before the accident, Nono navigated the rugged terrain of his village with ease. Today, he relies entirely on the compassion of others to endure the long, painful journey to Lebakeng Health Centre.

“His cervical spine injury has left him fully paralysed below the waist,” explained Lebakeng Health Centre Manager, Karabo Lelimo.

“He has no control or feeling in the lower part of his body and depends on adult diapers.”

Desperate in Maseru

After the tragic accident at a place called Sekoting in Melikane, Nono was rushed to Queen ‘Mamohato Memorial Hospital (QMMH) in Maseru for specialised care. Months of intensive treatment followed, and though he was eventually discharged, he was required to remain nearby for weekly physiotherapy sessions at Lesotho’s only referral hospital.

With no relatives in Maseru, Nono and his 26-year-old wife, Noamkelani, found temporary refuge in a rented room offered by a distant acquaintance—not a family member, just a familiar face from their village in Qacha’s Nek.

 But the burden quickly became too heavy for their host to carry alone. That’s when a concerned supporter, Lelimo, stepped in, arranging for Nono’s return home to Qacha’s Nek—where access to care is scarce, but community kindness runs deep.

“Since he was immobile due to spinal injuries, village leaders had to carry him on a stretcher on his arrival from the health facility to Rothifa, its three-hour walking distance from the clinic,” Lelimo said.

He added: “Since his return, I’ve been his main caregiver, with occasional help from colleagues. But due to the village’s remote location and lack of accessible transport, even horses aren’t always available, our support is limited.”

Lelimo explained that road access is nearly impossible and that healthcare workers cannot reach the village by car, and outreach services are rare unless food is provided as incentive.

He said Nono has been home for seven months and only recently travelled to Bloemfontein for a follow-up visit on June 12, 2025 after the Lebakeng Health Centre organised a flight for him to travel to Maseru on June 11, 2025 in time for a spinal appointment in Bloemfontein, South Africa.

“But air travel is expensive and unsustainable for weekly or monthly trips,” explained Lelimo.

Love and survival

Noamkelani, the 26-year-old wife of K’humbulani Nono, gathers firewood from the river three times a week and relies on the kindness of neighbours and well-wishers to keep her family fed.

With her husband paralysed, nearly all her time is consumed by caregiving—leaving little room to earn a living or even rest.

“My life revolves around caring for him,” she said.

 “I lift and wash him right where he lies. Sometimes he cries out in pain because of the pressure on his arms. I am not trained on how to care for someone in his condition, and I worry I might be hurting him.”

One of the most difficult challenges this young family faces is the constant need for adult diapers—a basic necessity they cannot afford.

“He constantly soils himself because he cannot feel when it happens,” said Noamkelani, adding “the clinic sometimes runs out of adult diapers, but we do our best to keep him clean and comfortable.”

Lelimo confirmed in separate interview that the Lebakeng Health Centre often assists the family with adult diapers. “He depends on adult diapers, which we try to supply from the clinic.”

Noamkelani constantly fears she will injure him further. “I wish I had training or help. Sometimes I think I’m failing him,” she said, her voice breaking.

Before the accident, K’humbulani worked as a herd boy in KwaZulu-Natal farms, South Africa. Since then, the family has had no income and lives on handouts.

“Sometimes I walk around the village asking for maize or flour. If no one has any, we go to bed hungry,” she said.

Even looking for work is out of the question. “He can’t be left alone. He needs me every moment,” she explained.

“If we could just get a wheelchair, more adult diapers, and some basic food supplies, life would be better.”

Lelimo adds that he visits Nono voluntarily, often on weekends, riding a borrowed horse.

“He cannot walk at all,” said Lelimo, adding “Since his return from Maseru, he hasn’t had any physiotherapy.”

“The terrain is killing him”

Transporting K’humbulani to the clinic is a community effort. “I go to the village chief, and he arranges for men to carry him on a stretcher. They rest along the way because it’s a long, rough journey, but they always make sure he reaches the clinic.”

Lelimo, the health center manager, believes the family urgently needs help. “This is beyond what we can handle as a clinic. Social Development and the Road Accident Fund should intervene,” he said.

“There was a car accident involved, so there’s a basis for that kind of support. We even wrote to the local chief asking for the patient to be relocated closer to the clinic, but we’ve received no reply. I plan to follow up,” he added.

According to Lelimo, “Where he lives now is far with steeps and hills and is completely unsuitable for someone in his condition.”

He further explained how sad it was when he was carried by man on a stretcher to the clinic just a day after a heavy snowfall, but adding that there was no other option as he couldn’t miss his Bloemfontein medical appointment.

Nono’s wife concluded: “If we could live closer to the clinic, he might survive longer. But here, surrounded by rocky paths and poverty, I’m watching my husband slowly waste away.”