Walking, moving and completing everyday tasks are things most people take for granted.
For people living with congenital myopathy, however, movement can present a very different reality.
Congenital myopathy is a rare neuromuscular condition associated with muscle weakness and fatigue, affecting mobility and everyday activities.
During awareness month, the Muscular Dystrophy Foundation is working to shine a light on neuromuscular conditions and the experiences of those living with them.
KuGompo City-born Brody Moodie is one such voice.
Having spent her life navigating the challenges of a neuromuscular condition, she has turned her experiences into a career focused on helping others.
Moodie attended Clarendon Primary School for Girls before completing high school at Abbotsford Christian School, matriculating in 2015.
She later studied English and psychology at the Pearson Institute of Higher Education, now Eduvos, before completing honours degrees through Unisa and the SA College of Applied Psychology.
In 2025, she qualified as a registered specialist wellness counsellor in Cape Town.
Today, she works as an online specialist wellness counsellor through her private practice, Ascend2Wellness.
She also teaches English online to schools in Moscow and Vietnam and assists in her family business, Moodies Fumigation.
Her commitment to helping others also includes five years of volunteer counselling with Masithethe Counselling Services and two years at Cambridge High.
Moodie was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy at nine months old after missing developmental milestones.
In 2024, she participated in a genetic study led by Prof Franclo Henning, head of the neuromuscular department at Stellenbosch University, which identified that she has congenital myopathy.
After 27 years believing she had muscular dystrophy, the updated diagnosis brought mixed emotions.
She told the GO! on Monday: “I was shocked because I believed for 27 years that I had muscular dystrophy, only to be told that it is in fact congenital myopathy.
“But I was also a bit relieved, because I finally knew more about my diagnosis and was able to understand a bit more about my symptoms.”
According to her geneticist, while research distinguishes between congenital myopathy and muscular dystrophy, there can be significant overlap in genetic mutation origins and symptom presentation.
Moodie has used an electric wheelchair since the age of five.
Before then, she relied on manual wheelchairs, a kiddies’ bike or being carried by her parents.
Her mother, Doreine remembers the difficult years of trying to understand her daughter’s condition and searching for ways to help her walk.
“From that point onwards, we began a long journey of learning to cope with and understand Brody’s diagnosis.
“It was not an easy journey.
“Throughout her formative years, I tried everything I could to help her stand and walk.
“We pursued different therapies and treatments, always hoping that perhaps the next one would be the one that would help her take those first steps,” Doreine said.
Eventually, when Moodie was about five, her family had to accept that she would not walk.
“But that was never going to stop her from living,” Doreine said.
She described her daughter as a happy child who loved life and continued to grow, learn and thrive despite the challenges she faced.
Moodie attended mainstream school and excelled, learning to navigate a world that was not always designed with her needs in mind.
“She achieved things not because anyone handed them to her, but because she worked for them,” said Doreine.
For Moodie, determination remains central to how she approaches life.
“Yes, I am different, but no, that will not stop me from achieving success. I may do things a bit differently but I can do it,” Moodie said.
“I recognise and accept my disorder but it doesn’t define who I am.”
Samantha Muller, of the Muscular Dystrophy Foundation based in Cape Town, said neuromuscular conditions were rare diseases collectively estimated to affect about one in 1,200 people.
Beyond muscle weakness, fatigue and mobility limitations, affected families can face barriers to specialised healthcare, assistive devices and inclusive education. The foundation provides support through parent and adult support groups, condition-specific WhatsApp networks, specialised equipment and links to medical resources.
Muller said the public had an important role to play in creating more inclusive spaces.
“The local community can play an important role in supporting affected individuals and families by raising public awareness, encouraging schools, workplaces, and public spaces to become more accessible and inclusive for persons living with disabilities.” This September, the foundation’s awareness month campaign carries the theme “getting into the green scene”.
