After spending more than three months in hospital, a Ravensmead girl has returned home paralysed after a gang bullet struck her in the spine.
The family of Kylea Fredericks, 12, say her life has been changed forever and are appealing for help for the meisie who has no feeling from the waist down.
Kylea was one of four children who were wounded when three armed skollies stormed into a home in Anemone Street in Ravensmead on 17 November.
The child was visiting her friend, Esti Williams, 12, when the shooting occurred.
According to residents, three members of the 26s gang opened fire on an innocent man, Denver Simon, 25, and hit two 12-year-old boys who were dancing in the lounge.
Kylea and Esti were walking to the front of the house when one of the skollies shot Esti in the arm while Kylea was shot in the back as she tried to run away.
PLEA FOR HELP: Paralysed Kylea Fredericks, 12, and her grandma Joan
Ouma Joan, 54, says the bullet lodged in Kylea’s spine and she was rushed to Tygerberg Hospital. She was transferred to Red Cross Children’s Hospital where she underwent emergency surgery to have the bullet removed.
“I was with her all the way. She was there for three weeks and the doctors told us she is paralysed and now has a wheelchair,” the hartseer ouma says.
“They moved her to the Lentegeur Rehabilitation Centre where she has been ever since.
“Our whole family is still traumatised because she did not deserve this. This shooting has changed her life.”
On 1 March, Kylea was discharged and children in the street held a suprise party for her.
“I am happy to be home, I just want to go back to school now,” the skaam meisie tells the Daily Voice.
Her proud ouma says her slimkop granddaughter passed Grade 4 at Nebo Primary School last year despite being shot.
But they worry about how she will access her classroom in a wheelchair.
SCENE: Fateful bullet holes
“We have a problem trying to get her in and out of the house because we don’t have ramps and don’t have money to build it,” says Joan.
“This month alone we have four hospital appointments and each time we must get people to drive her, and that costs money we don’t have.
Community worker, Randall Botha, says the skollies will appear in the Bellville Magistrates’ Court on 13 March for a bail hearing.
“The first bail application was postponed, now the community is doing a petition to keep them in jail.”
If you would like to assist Kylea and her family, call Carol on 072 385 7919.