“Sydney, You’re Seen”: Over R115,000 Donated to a Homeless Wheelchair-Bound Man in Cape Town

• Cape Town runner Chad Nathans raised money for homeless wheelchair-bound man Sydney Miller after sharing his story online
• Chad came across Sydney pushing himself through the Cape Town storm along the Sea Point promenade and stopped to help him
• The moment Chad found Sydney to deliver the news became one of the most emotional videos to come out of Cape Town

What started as one man stopping to help another through a storm turned into something far bigger than either of them could have imagined. As previously reported by Briefly News, @gingerwithagopro, Cape Town runner Chad Nathans had spotted Sydney Miller, a homeless wheelchair-bound man around 50 years old, pushing himself through the Cape Town storm along the Sea Point promenade.

He stopped and pushed Sydney 4km to the nearest bus stop, and along the way learned that Sydney had lost the use of his legs after being hit by a car five years ago, never received a cent from the Road Accident Fund, and was facing the amputation of his second leg on 21 May. Chad shared the story and launched a fundraising campaign through his Raising Hope initiative. He shared the follow-up video on 12 May 2026 with the caption:

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"The internet can be used for the right reasons. People's lives can change forever."

The response was immediate. Within hours, donations came flooding in from South Africa and beyond. The total is climbing past R100,000 and continuing to rise.

Chad finds Sydney and delivers the news

Chad rode his bike to where he had last seen Sydney, near the bus stop by the Pavilion, but didn't find him there. He continued looking until he found him. Before telling him the full amount, he offered Sydney a choice between a small amount of cash or a mystery gift. Sydney chose the mystery gift, saying money is the root of all evil. The mystery gift was a handwritten letter from Chad.

Chad read it to him out loud. The letter told Sydney that hundreds of people from around the world, people who had never met him, had come together after being moved by his story. It told him he was seen, that he mattered, and that his life carried value. Then Chad told him the total: R115,000. Sydney was speechless.

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Chad also arranged for Sydney to be taken to a shelter that night, promised to bring clothing the next day and spoke about getting him sorted with a phone that simply had numbers on it so people could reach him.

Watch the Instagram clip here.

People get excited about the fundraising total

People shared their love and praise on @gingerwithagopro's Instagram page:

@angelique_wilky wrote:

"Incredible 🙌"

@littleandco_southafrica said:

"Imagine a world where everyone pushes someone else's wheelchair. Thanks for being a beautiful example!"

@thatfilmguy.tv added:

"My bru 🫶 What an amazing thing you've done."

@gayle.landau wrote:

"Gosh, this is amazing. I strongly recommend that he receive guidance on how to manage such a lot of money so that he remains protected and nobody takes opportunistic advantage of him."

More South Africans rallying for those in need

• Briefly News reported on a Pretoria motorbike rider who was seriously injured during a charity ride raising funds for fire victims.
• An influencer raised over R50,000 for the March and March movement, and what he pledged to do next had South Africans even more impressed.
• A KZN school community launched a fundraising campaign for a beloved retired Grade 1 teacher who needed urgent brain surgery.

Source: Briefly News