“A Legend of a Teacher”: KZN School Seeks Financial Help for Former Teacher Facing Urgent Surgery

• A KZN school community is rallying behind Marisa Matthysen, a beloved former Grade 1 teacher who has been living with Parkinson's disease since 2009
• The surgery, scheduled for 11 May 2026, involves replacing the battery in a Deep Brain Stimulation device implanted in her brain
• A BackaBuddy campaign has been set up by her daughter to help cover the costs, with the family hoping to give Marisa a better quality of life

A KZN school community is coming together to support one of their own. Kloof Senior Primary School teacher @schalk.claassen.3 shared an urgent appeal on 7 May 2026 on the Gelofte Skool chat group, asking people to take two minutes to read about a former colleague in need. The post read:

"A Statemaker Loffie teacher for many years, Marisa Matthysen, urgently needs our help. She must undergo an urgent surgery on Monday, 11 May, which will ensure a better quality of life."

Read also

“Had to try for my family”: Security guard’s R5K goal smashed as donations hit R56K

The appeal was shared with a link that went to a BackaBuddy campaign started by Marisa's daughter, Elzaan Jansen. In it, Elzaan explained that her mother was a Grade 1 teacher for most of her working life before Parkinson's disease forced her into early retirement six years ago. Over the years, the illness has taken away her ability to cook, drive, read, write and even use a phone. From being one of the most independent women in her family, Marisa became fully dependent on her husband, who is now her full-time carer.

Why the surgery is so urgent?

Years ago, Marisa underwent a Deep Brain Stimulation procedure, known as DBS, which involves implanting electrodes in the brain to help manage the symptoms of Parkinson's disease. The procedure brought the family great relief and improvement. However, a serious fall caused the electrodes to shift, leading to another brain operation. Now, the battery powering the device has dropped to 0%, meaning the system has stopped working entirely. Also, her symptoms have returned severely. Without a replacement battery, the DBS device can't function.

The surgery to replace the battery is scheduled for 11 May 2026. The cost of the replacement alone is R218,295.43. The additional costs for hospitalisation, anaesthesia and specialist fees are still to be added. Medical aid does not cover everything, and with both Marisa and her husband retired, the financial pressure on the family is significant. The BackaBuddy campaign has a goal of R500,000 and has raised R4,800 from 10 donors currently.

Read also

Helen Zille yells Joburg mayor's name outside his office with giant megaphone in TikTok video

The family's hope is that getting the system running again will give Marisa back some of the everyday things many people take for granted, ahead of her 70th birthday at the end of May.

Read the full BackaBuddy campaign on the Facebook post here.

More on people and financial support

• Briefly News reported on fans of Big Brother Mzansi runner-up Thandeka Tshabalala pulling together over R280,000 in donations.
• Springbok legend Frans Steyn put one of his most prized possessions up for a children's charity cause.
• A Stellenbosch University security guard made a heartfelt plea on social media about a dream he couldn't afford, and had Mzansi responding.

Source: Briefly News