It’s a condition that results in your breathing repeatedly stopping and starting. Sleep apnea can be caused by throat muscles relaxing and that then blocks the flow of air into the lungs. Or in other cases, the brain just doesn’t send proper signals to the muscles that control breathing. With sleep apnea, your breathing can be interrupted hundreds of times in a single night, leading to a lack of oxygen and a higher risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, a stroke, diabetes, and other health concerns.
Sleep apnea can also affect relationships, as it’s just as difficult physically and emotionally for the partner of the sufferer. Partners of sleep apnea sufferers often struggle with anxiety and fear for their partner’s health.
The only solution for the sufferer is a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machine, which delivers continuous pressurized air through tubing into a mask that you wear while you sleep.
This is clearly a machine that Gerrie needs desperately, as without it he could stop breathing while sleeping, which could cause heart failure or a stroke.
The problem facing Gerrie and Denise is that their medical aid won’t cover the machine and at nearly R10 000, they just can’t afford it, which is what they explained to the HOT 1027 Breakfast when the team called them up and had them on the show.
There they explained that post-Covid-19 pandemic, Gerrie was unemployed for about 14 months and the couple are now trying to play catch-up with their debts.
Gerrie works as a quality controller for a car rental company, which requires him to test drive about 15-20 cars a day, so it’s incredibly important that he has his health and doesn’t pose a risk to others on the road.
As Gerrie and Denise explained, without assistance, Gerrie just won’t be able to work.
Hot Cares can see that and feels their pain and anxiety. That’s why we’re going to be covering the cost of the CPAP machine, to the tune of R9590!
“Are you serious?” said Gerrie, when Parky and Bunny broke the news to him on air. “I can’t believe it and I don’t have the words. I can’t thank you enough.”
If you are a prospective partner of HOT Cares, or if you are in a position to donate towards making a meaningful difference, or have a story to alert us to, or a programme you’d like to partner with HOT Cares on, please get in touch with us by emailing info@hotcares.co.za.
