PIETERMARITZBURG - What started as a tearful TikTok plea for strangers to visit her mother, who is being treated for cancer at a KwaZulu-Natal hospital, has turned into a remarkable story of kindness.
Earlier this week, Londiwe Molefe, originally from Newcastle, posted a tearful video on TikTok asking people to visit her mother at Greys Hospital in Pietermaritzburg.
Unable to afford the trip from Cape Town, Molefe said she feared her mother was not doing well and had no one else to check on her.
Her plea, which attracted more than 5,000 comments, struck a chord with the app's users.
“My mom was admitted at Greys Hospital. I’m currently in Cape Town and there is no one at home who can go check on her,” Molefe said in the video.
“I don’t have another option. She is not okay. If anyone is close to Greys or can visit her, please go. Even just five minutes with her would mean the world and make her feel so much better.”
Molefe’s followers responded to her plea, with one offering to buy her a plane ticket so she could travel to KwaZulu-Natal and be reunited with her mother. Many others flocked to Greys hospital to visit her mother.
On Wednesday, Molefe arrived in Pietermaritzburg and was also able to visit her mother. Another user also offered her a place to stay, while another good samaritan paid for her return ticket back to Cape Town.
Reflecting on the outpouring of support, Molefe thanked those who had donated, visited her mother on her behalf and offered emotional support.
“When I made the video about my mom being in hospital, I never imagined it would touch so many of you. Thank you for the donations. Thank you for going to see my mom on my behalf. Thank you for calling me, for the messages, for sacrificing your time,” she wrote.
“Because of your kindness, I am able to go to KZN to see my mom too. You carried me when I felt so broken. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.”