Siphosethu “Sethu” Mdayi is an international worker who travels the world for employment opportunities that support herself and her 9 year-old son who lives in South Africa. The funds she earns also allow her to pay extended family/friends to care for her son, Kheta. Currently, Sethu is working in the states as a hospitality worker/server at a private club in Clayton.

Sethu was hurt on the job more than 7 weeks ago when the beverage cart (filled with a large quantity of drinks and ice) she was driving on the mountainous golf course turned over on top of her, pinning her on the ground and hurting her head, pelvis, and entire left side of her body. The brakes on the cart failed, causing the cart to slide backwards out of control and injuring her. Sethu was airlifted to NEGA hospital in Gainesville for treatment, and thankfully, her injuries were not life threatening. Yet, the injuries have left her in intense pain and have added to her despair because she can’t work much at all to earn funds needed to support herself and send to South Africa for her precious son and extended family.

Workman’s Compensation benefits have barely trickled in and are extremely limited, not covering much of the lost wages she should have earned, especially because the on-the-job accident was none of her fault. Workman’s Comp did approve physical therapy beginning on 9/19 and will end 10/19; however, she has been in severe pain, only being given Extra strength Tylenol, Aleve and a muscle relaxer, which she was instructed to take on a very limited basis. A Workman’s comp physician released her back to full-duty work two weeks following the accident, telling her she only needed physical therapy.

Unfortunately, she tried returning to work but was in too much pain plus, she had such weakness on her left side and whole body, she could not carry filled serving trays and stand for the usual 7 to 8 continual hours. She requested a second opinion but was unable to get one till this past Monday, 9/25 … more than 7 weeks after the initial accident on 8/5/23.

At 5-weeks post accident, when she was still in such pain and unable to work, we took her to Dr Beck at Lifepoint Medical Center in Clayton, GA for a second opinion that she had been unable to schedule with Workman’s Comp at that time. Our family stepped in to fund this second opinion (although Dr Beck offered to do the exam pro bono in his attempt to help her). That day, 9/19/23, Workman’s Comp agreed to pay for Dr. Beck’s help and the MRIs he ordered for her brain and brachial plexus.

The day after this appointment, 9/20/23, Workman’s Comp called Sethu and denied paying for Dr Beck’s assessment and the MRIs he ordered, stating a Workman’s Comp physician needed to do all the assessments and order appropriate tests. Wanting to be compliant on every level, Sethu waited till 9/25/23 to be seen by the Workman’s Comp physician. At this appointment, the physician saw her, said her report of symptoms did not match what he had been told from the Workman’s Comp case manager, and he told her could do nothing for her. He refused to order any tests, told her to finish physical therapy as earlier instructed, and left the exam room, leaving her dazed and dejected.

Now, working with Dr Beck’s referral assistance, Sethu is getting the two MRIs he ordered to help formulate an accurate treatment plan for her. We are working as quickly as possible, after already losing 7.5 weeks of time with very little treatment, because she is scheduled to leave the Clayton area by 11/11/23. Her H2B Visa will allow her to go home for two weeks before she reports for her next six-month assignment in Delray Beach, Florida (where she has worked the last three winter seasons, being a dearly loved and highly-sought-after server/hospitality group leader) from late November through April, 2024. If she isn’t well by her 11/11/23 deportation back to South Africa, she will be unable to return to the states to do the work she is committed to do and is known to do extremely well.

Interestingly, South African hospitality workers make more money in America than doctors and lawyers make in South Africa. This is why Sethu leaves her son and family in South Africa to pursue work around the world. She must get appropriate treatment so she can recover, return to work, and provide for herself, her son and extended family.

We have stepped forward to help her raise funds through a Helping Hands Ministries project. We hope to know by end of day tomorrow what else might be recommended for her care. Even if she needs invasive surgical intervention, we are prepared to help her through that and the recovery time (even taking her into our home and hiring home health to assist her.)

One more glitch, the last day she can stay in the private club’s apartment is 10/31. For her to get all the treatment she can before she must leave the states on 11/11/23, we will allow her to stay in our home and work to get her back and forth from whatever appointments/treatments she requires. This will also defray her costs considering she will be unemployed altogether at that time.

Bottomline: We are driven to get this precious, 29-year-old, Godly lady WELL so she CAN WORK like she wants and needs to do for many years to come.

Thank you for prayerfully considering a donation to help her. It is too soon to know how much money she needs to raise; however as a self-pay patient, it could total as much as $15k to $20K plus/minus if she needs surgery and recovery assistance.