Central SA
Woman walks through Central SA to raise awareness of husband’s rare disease─── ZENANDE MPAME 12:14 Fri, 09 May 2025
A woman from Johannesburg has embarked on a 1800km walk from Johannesburg to Cape Town to raise money and awareness of her husband’s rare disease, known as Dercum’s Disease.
Nicole Liedemann Telukram (37) passed through Bloemfontein on Thursday (8/5) with her friend Paballo Mahoa, who is her safety car driver; she drives behind her with her dog Zaza to make sure she’s safe.
Dercum’s Disease, also known as Adiposis Dolorosa, is a rare condition characterised by multiple, painful growths of fatty tissues (lipomas). The cause is unknown, and there’s no cure. The only way to manage the disease is to monitor the symptoms, which may include paralysis.
“My husband, Sathish, is one of four people in South Africa who have this rare disease; he has about 300 of these lipomas scattered all over his body,” said Telukram. “So these are like golf balls protruding through his skin.”
“Sathish was diagnosed in 2021, and it started affecting his life, mobility, and his brain. A few weeks after his diagnosis, he was dismissed from work because they did not believe it was an illness; he was an accountant.
“So I am doing this because I feel that more can be done, I am doing it for the discrimination against people with disabilities and those with rare diseases, and I'm doing this to be the voice of those who are silent, who cannot fight anymore,” she said.
Telukram says her biggest fear was that her husband would become a drug addict through the system because they don’t know how to treat what he has. Doctors can only treat the symptoms of pain.
Nicole Liedemann Telukram and her friend Paballo Mahoa. Photo: Zenande Mpame
The mother of six decided to start her 45-day walk on Wednesday (30/4) from the Brackendowns police station in Alberton. “My friend has held me down, and I am very grateful to have her put her life on hold and do this journey with me.”
“I’ve also been so grateful for the community and the public in general, strangers. I’ve never experienced such kindness in my life,” said Telukram.
“I’d also like to especially thank the trucking community for keeping us safe on the roads and letting us know where to go and how to get there.”
Telukram says people can donate lots of socks, leggings, offer accommodation in the evenings, dog food, financial donations, and they can also donate R50 to walk 5 km with her.
