Elvina Oliphant, who has cerebral palsy, gets a wonderful birthday surprise | Cape Argus – IOL

Dilnawaaz Naidoo, Pick n Pay customer service manager, Richard Kirsh, Pick n Pay manager, Virgina Oliphant and community worker Beryl Williams celebrate with Elvina Oliphant at her 20th birthday party at the weekend.Cape Town - A 20-year-old mentally handicapped and disabled woman from Phumlani, an informal settlement in Lotus River, got a wonderful surprise at the weekend when a community worker from the area and Pick n Pay Constantia gave her a birthday party and cake featuring her favourite cartoon character, Sofia the First.

Virginia Oliphant has been taking care of her wheelchair-bound daughter, Elvina Oliphant, for the past 20 years, working voluntarily as a Sunday school teacher and preparing meals for the feeding scheme at Zeekoevlei Secondary School. She receives a stipend for her services.

Elvina was diagnosed with cerebral palsy when she was 11 months old. Initially I didnt even know what the disease was all about or what it meant for my daughter. I was so devastated and broke down in tears after I was told the news, said Oliphant.

Oliphant - who has two younger daughters, Ruth, 11, who attends Buck Road Primary School and Mayonique, 15, who attends Zeekoevlei Secondary School - does practically everything for Elvina, who is unable to speak.

My home is in the same vicinity as the Phumlani Community Church where the party was held - it is in the front of the yard and the church is at the back, she said.

Elvina has been obsessed with the cartoon Sofia the First since a friend of mine brought her a DVD of the movie. Since then its all she watches, so when she saw Beryl coming in with the cake made by Pick n Pay, she was so excited.

Beryl Williams, who runs a feeding scheme in the Lotus River area, said after she inquired on her WhatsApp group where she could find a Sofia the First birthday cake, Dilnawaaz Naidoo, the customer service manager at Pick n Pay, saw the post and offered his assistance.

Even though Elvina cannot speak, she was so excited when she saw all the Sophia decorations and cake. She kept laughing excitedly and practically jumped out of her seat, said Williams.

I was so happy I could do my bit to assist the family and make Elvinas dream a reality, said Williams.

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Elvina Oliphant, who has cerebral palsy, gets a wonderful birthday surprise | Cape Argus - IOL