Miles for Mercia

Miles for Mercia was started on 22 March 2013 as a ‘paying it forward’ initiative in aid of cerebral palsied individuals and someone that needed inspiration to complete the Comrades Marathon. Miles for Mercia is a registered NPO and donations are tax deductible. Donations are in aid of people living with cerebral palsy and institutions who provide care for differently abled people. Our motto is: Seeing beyond what seems possible.

We strive to broaden the horizons of people living with cerebral palsy, by assisting where possible to improve their quality of life.

Mercia (pictured above ) is a 42-year-old writer who was born with cerebral palsy and requires around the clock care. She was the first to benefit from Miles for Mercia and still receives assistance from the charity along with others like her.

Cerebral Palsy is considered a neurological disorder caused by a non-progressive brain injury or malformation that occurs while the child’s brain is under development. Cerebral Palsy primarily affects body movement and muscle coordination. Though Cerebral Palsy can be defined, having Cerebral Palsy does not define the person that has the condition.

While Cerebral Palsy (pronounced seh-ree-brel pawl-zee) is a blanket term commonly referred to as “CP” and described by loss or impairment of motor function. Cerebral Palsy is actually caused by brain damage, usually by brain injury or abnormal development of the brain that occurs while a child’s brain is still developing — before birth, during birth, or immediately after birth. CP primarily affects body movement and muscle coordination. Though Cerebral Palsy can be defined, having Cerebral Palsy does not define the person that has the condition.

An individual with Cerebral Palsy will likely show signs of physical impairment. However, the type of movement dysfunction, the location and number of limbs involved, as well as the extent of impairment, will vary from one individual to another. It can affect arms, legs, and even the face; it can affect one limb, several, or all.

Every case of cerebral palsy is unique to the individual. One person may have total paralysis and require constant care, while another with partial paralysis might have slight movement tremors but require little assistance. This is due in part by the type of injury and the timing of the injury to the developing brain.

Miles for Mercia’s main fundraising drive coincides with the annual Comrades Marathon in South Africa where donors can sponsor athletes per completed kilometre of Comrades or a once off amount, but in time to come, we will be looking for more runners to compete in events like Iron Man and other marathons. We would love to help more children since advances in the CP field in recent years, mean that with the right assistance these children can lead full and productive lives.

If you would like to support this initiative, please consider a donation/sponsorship, or joining our running team. We need your help to continue broadening horizons.

Contact details are as follows :

Rudi Swanepool 083 7925608

Ronnette Marais 083 505 77oo

You can also follow the link to our Facebook page to watch some of our videos :

https://www.facebook.com/439601662792249/videos/1055167121235697/?t=3

Banking details should you wish to make a donation :

Bank: INVESTEC PRIVATE BANK

- Account Name MILES FOR MERCIA NPO

- Account Number: 50008769969

- Branch Code: 580105

- Account Type: CCM CALL ACCOUNT

- Reference: Algoa Cares