MY STORY

This was not only my greatest setback but also my most profound victory.

It was an afternoon in November 2014. I was consulting at one of Kathu’s largest opencast iron ore mines. After a stressful meeting, I left at half past four to collect a parcel at the airport. It fell from my hand as I tried to swipe my access card at the mine’s security exit. I tried again, and the same thing happened.

I finally made it through the gate but pulled over a few hundred metres down the road. My colleague, Johan, noticed something was wrong and asked if I was okay. I couldn’t respond. He handed me his phone to type, but I could only produce random letters.

Concerned, Johan drove me to the airport. When my laptop bag slipped out of my hands, he immediately booked me onto the next available flight. I was fortunate enough to get the last seat.

An hour and a half later, I arrived at OR Tambo Airport, but I couldn’t find my car. When I eventually did, I struggled to unlock it and set off the alarm. Fortunately, my son arrived just in time and rushed me to the hospital, where I was admitted.

As I lay in the hospital, a vision of my life played before me. Fourteen years of study and thirty-five years of work seemed to vanish from my mind. I wept and trembled continuously. I knew then that God was my only hope.

Extensive testing revealed that I had a heart condition called Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD), which resulted in blood clots. I had suffered a stroke, leaving me with some brain damage.

Thus began my long road to recovery. For a year, I attended occupational therapy twice a week and had regular check-ups with my neurologist. I was terrified to go home, afraid to be alone. Every morning, I would count to ten before getting out of bed, just to see if I was able. To make matters worse, I was going through a divorce after forty years of marriage. Yet, through it all, I thanked God for keeping me alive.

I had no choice but to close my consultancy practice within six months, letting go of a business I had built my whole life. It was gone in an instant.

My life came to a halt. I couldn’t switch on a computer, sing, or play an instrument. I couldn’t write, speak English, or even have a conversation. Simple tasks like carrying a cup or slicing bread became impossible. I couldn’t drive or ride my motorcycle. I couldn’t fly my aeroplane. And on top of it all, I lost my income.

Then, in February 2015, three months after the stroke, I received a scripture from Isaiah 52:2: ‘Shake yourself free, Jerusalem! Rise from the dust and sit on the throne! Undo the chains that bind you.’ That promise became my anchor in hope and faith.

Through immense effort, challenges, and even moments of laughter, I thank God for His mercy. The journey wasn’t easy, but He restored me to where I am today. Despite the minor struggles, like losing keys and forgetting phone numbers, I am as close to “normal” as I can be. I am content, grateful, and aware of how truly blessed I am.