Zimele NPC – we will journey with you

Assisting you to live as independent a life as possible

“It always seems impossible until it’s done.” Nelson Mandela

Disability is not a choice

Zimele guides and assists any amputee (leg, foot, arm and hand) with their rehabilitation journey, no matter whether the individual is pre or post amputation.

Zimele welcomes amputees of any age, provided that individual is over 18 years old.

Vision

To support amputees in becoming self-sufficient members of society through comprehensive rehabilitation services, and to advocate for policy change to ensure that these services are available to all.

Mission

Zimele's interdisciplinary team of health professionals will provide prosthetic fitting and physical and psychological rehabilitation services for amputees from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds, and will aid in their social integration through access to skills training and work opportunities.

What we offer

A pressing question on most amputees’ minds (facing the unknown reality of life after amputation) is, “What now?” Zimele’s interdisciplinary team of health professionals will work with such individuals, to develop a “road map” of the journey ahead, specifically tailored according to each amputee’s individual needs and goals.
We offer a full medical review. This review focusses on the optimization of pre-existing co-morbidities such as diabetes and hypertension, as well as wound care management. Our team will also liaise with other medical professionals involved in our client’s treatment and management.

Pain Management

Our team will address the separate issues of pain and phantom pain/sensation management.

Counselling

We offer psychological counselling and trauma debriefing.

Strength Training

A very important area that our team addresses is strength training pre and post amputation.

Prosthetic Advice

Our team provides advice on prosthetics: what’s available and what is required in order to meet an individual’s specific needs.

Home & Work adaptations

We assist with advice on home and work adaptations. Our team will also liaise with employers, to help facilitate our client’s return to work.

Gait Training

We assist with gait training once an amputee’s prosthesis has been fitted.

Meet the Directors

Dr Sarah Whitehead

Sarah is a medical doctor and is a person with a physical disability. She qualified with an MBChB from the University of Cape Town in 2010.

Jayson Chin

Jayson is an orthotist and prosthetist. He studied Medical Orthotics and Prosthetics at Pretoria Technikon and qualified in 1995.

Rodney Lakay

Rodney is a director in the company Africa Stereos (a graphic design and printing company) and is a bilateral amputee.

THE DirectorS'

connection

Jayson has been Sarah’s orthotist and friend for 21 years. Since the manifestation of Sarah’s impairment and subsequent disability, Jayson has become an integral part of Sarah’s own physical rehabilitation team. In 2018 the two became colleagues, when Sarah joined The Cape Amputee Clinic as the doctor.

Sarah and Jayson’s shared passion to ensure that as many people as possible were given access to comprehensive physical rehabilitation, led to the formation of Zimele. Rodney was the obvious choice for a third director. He and his wife were Sarah’s patients during their inpatient acute rehabilitation in 2014 and as an outpatient Rodney made use of Jayson’s service as a prosthetist.