Generous South Africans give homeless man new life

Three weeks after a chance encounter on a storm-battered Sea Point promenade captured the hearts of South Africans, Sidney Miller’s life looks very different. 

The homeless wheelchair user, whose story sparked an outpouring of support after videographer Chad Nathan, otherwise known as Ginger with a GoPro, shared it online, has gone from facing another winter on the streets to navigating a future made possible by hundreds of thousands of rands in donations. 

Since Nathan posted the video with Miller on 12 May, appealing for help, more than R500 000 has poured in for his care and future needs. Nathan also ran the entirety of the Cape Town Marathon on 24 May with Miller’s name on his back. 

Supporters offered everything from medical assistance and accommodation to practical help and words of encouragement, with Miller receiving winter gear and getting fitted for an electric wheelchair. As plans began to take shape, the focus shifted from immediate relief to a more difficult task: ensuring that the generosity sparked by a viral moment would lead to meaningful and lasting change in one man’s life. 

Nathan explained that he has handed the funds for Miller over to The Angel Network charity organisation to manage. 

“The money has left the BackaBuddy account and has gone to The Angel Network account,” he said. “They have taken a lot off my plate and have been helping extensively with investing the funds, and they are the ones that are paying out funds to Sidney for medicine or other [things]. They take control of all the money.” 

Miller has since undergone surgery to amputate his other leg, and Nathan went to visit him on 29 May. 

“It was quite a shock to see him with his other leg gone now,” he said. “I watched them clean the wound, and he says he doesn’t feel any more pain. But he says that could be the morphine speaking. He’s just happy he’s no longer in pain. He’s just feeling that little ghost niggle where it feels like your foot is still there, but it’s not.” 

Aquazania and The Sweethearts Foundation are sponsoring an electric wheelchair, “which actually looks like a bit of a Harley Davidson”, for Miller. 

Nathan explained that Souper Troopers, a Cape Town-based non-profit that works to empower people living on the streets to achieve sustainable independence, is also involved. “We’re working with a lady named Tasneem. She used to be on the street herself and has gone through a whole programme to know what it means to help people to get off the street. She is absolutely amazing because she knows exactly the situation Sidney is in.” 

Over and above the virality and attention he has received from the Miller story ‒ about 20 000 Instagram followers in the first week ‒ Nathan has been blown away by how Miller’s story has moved people. 

“It’s inspired so many people to actually be kind and to do good out there, which was the goal at the end of the day.” 

He said all the extra followers push him to continue what he is doing and allow him to do even more. 

“That provides a whole array of opportunities, more eyeballs on your work, but what also comes with that is that people are now coming out of everywhere asking for help, from the smallest thing to the biggest thing. I do want to try to help everyone, but I can’t, so I’m doing it slowly, one step at a time. We’re finishing up with Sidney. We raised half a million rand for Sidney, and now whatever money comes in after that will be used for different funds,” he said.