My Brother's Rehab Campaign

My name is Zinhle Purity Mkhize. 

My brother relocated to Cape town from Durbah to live with me at the beginning of the year as COVID hit. He was my mother’s caregiver when she fell terminally ill after her stroke, leading up to her passing. Due to this and other unforeseen hardships he was needing a new start and I opened my home to him thinking that this would benefit his healing. 

I’ve since then realised that he is in desperate need of professional help. Out of respect for my brother I won’t divulge or air any specific details around his past few years of trauma, but I must intimate that they were deeply, deeply significant and traumatic... enough to push any sane person over the edge. This, followed by my mother passing away in his arms while he was alone with her, was one of the final cherries on top of the mountain of trauma. He is unsurprisingly displaying the classic symptoms of ptsd and the coping mechanisms.

My brother has history with drug abuse and he has started using again. His behaviour and demeanor has changed considerably around the house. Things are going missing, his attitude towards my daughter and I has become hostile, he’s consistently dishonest and unresponsive to open conversation around this problem. I’ve become so affected by his behavior that my own mental health is constantly triggered and I worry about his presence around my child. 

We grew up in a community that doesn't prioritize mental health let alone had any awareness/education of these issues. He suffered from severe anxiety throughout his life, struggled at school because of his ADHD which he was never been diagnosed for. There’s so much going on with him that leads him back to this place of using drugs to try and drown out the fear and noise.

I find myself in quite a predicament, having to witness this beautiful person that I grew up with and love so much deteriorate every single day - it really breaks my heart.  

He has expressed a deep interest and longing for professional attention and is very open to immersing himself with an inpatient program at a nearby rehab facility. I’ve connected with this space and they have admitted him a few days ago (21 november 2020). This includes accommodation, counselling (one on one), group therapy, food, creative workshops etc. This will be a 6 month program at R5500 per month. A friend of mine has stepped in to pay for the first month of his treatment, so i'm just needing assistance for the next 5 months, a total of R27 500.

I'm reaching out to you, my friends and extended community of caring humans to please find it in your hearts to give us some support. I don't have much resources to take this on financially and any help would be so welcomed and deeply appreciated. I know that COVID has left us all in a weird financial space but I believe in the power of community. Please help my brother regain himself and his place in this world.

Thank you in advance!!