At the age of 22, Kgotso Moroenyane has taken the lemons life has handed him and turned them into lemonade.

The BEd student majoring in mathematics and physical science has not let the two chronic illnesses he lives with stop him from working towards his dreams.

Living with two chronic conditions

In 2016 Kgotso was diagnosed with a chronic heart condition which he currently controls with medication.

After attaining four distinctions in matric, Kgotso was accepted to study towards a chemical engineering qualification at the North-West University (NWU) in 2018.

Later that year, he started experiencing the symptoms of a very rare health condition and was not able to eat, walk or talk. He also had trouble chewing, experienced double vision and drooping of the eyelids.

“It was difficult for me to even lift a cup of tea due to muscle weakness. I consulted a lot of doctors within the North West Province, but they all kept telling me they can’t find anything wrong,” says Kgotso.

He lived with these symptoms for almost a year and tried to commit suicide after months of feeling hopeless.

Fortunately, things started to turn around. In March 2019 he went to Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in Gauteng, where he was finally diagnosed with Myasthenia Gravis, a disease where nerve impulses are blocked in the neuromuscular junction.

“Although my conditions are chronic, the current treatment has helped me to get back to my normal self.”

Giving up was not an option

While most people would have given up, Kgotso decided to live life to the fullest and dropped out of his chemical engineering course to pursue his lifelong passion for teaching. He is currently working towards his teaching qualification at the NWU on a part-time basis, and is also an assistant Grade 10 mathematics teacher at Botoka Secondary School in Potchefstroom.

Kgotso also created mathematics study guides for learners from Grade 7 to 9. He says these study guides are exam tools to help learners to familiarise themselves with the exam structure and techniques.

He says that the Grade 10 version of the study guide is set to be released in April.

“These Grade 10 learners have been using my study guide since Grade 8 and they did really well in the subject.”

In the next five years Kgotso wants to have completed his degree and hope to be recognised as the best mathematics teacher in the province. “My final goal is to work towards becoming the head of the department and the mathematics subject specialist who sets and lays out the curriculum for schools.”

NWU BEd student Kgotso Moroenyane is grabbing life by the horns.