Yvonne and Christo Joubert. (Photo: Provided)
Just a few months ago, Christo Joubert was devastated, when his right leg was amputated below the knee after a seemingly innocent accident on the farm where he worked.
Today he is once again a proud, working man thanks to the help of several compassionate people who opened their hearts and wallets to offer Christo (64) a better quality of life.
Christo works at a guest house in Northam, 50 km outside Thabazimbi in Limpopo, where he manages the male staff and looks after the gardens. He also performs other small jobs on the premises, which also has a restaurant.
Christo works in his wheelchair or on one leg. (Photos: Provided)
These days, he can tackle his daily tasks with much more zeal than before, after two Maroela Media readers gave him an iWalker crutch and a second-hand prosthesis.
Maroela Media reported in March that Christo, a diabetic, injured his foot when he pushed a vehicle that got stuck in mud, and something stuck in his foot.
He and his wife, Yvonne, initially treated the wound at home, but it got so bad that they ended up going to a state hospital. Christo’s foot was amputated soon after, first above the ankle and later below the knee.
Due to the nature of his injury, he could no longer work on the farm and was summarily given the go-ahead. Devastated, Christo and Yvonne were forced to sell their furniture to pay for the move and ended up living with their son in Thabazimbi.
Santi Calitz Diedericks, the owner of the guest house who took pity on the couple and offered them housing and work, recently shared a video on Facebook where Christo is sitting mowing a large lawn.
Christo also swims again. (Photo: Provided)
“We are proud of you,” reads the entry along with the post.
Leonie Marais, a friend of Thabazimbi who is now involved with the Jouberts, tells Maroela Media that the second-hand prosthesis does not fit yet, and special bandages are needed to make the leg fit.
According to Leonie, he wants to acquire the necessary materials to try to do it himself, as he cannot yet afford to have it done.
“The man who sent the prosthesis gave a lot of advice about it, as he himself had lost a leg.”
According to Leonie, Christo is doing well under the circumstances and is extremely motivated. He also learned how to drive with just one leg.
“I forwarded every message and email that came in with advice and words of encouragement to Christo. He couldn’t believe the positive feedback we were getting, and it meant an awful lot to him.”
- To help Christo you can send an e-mail to senior journalist Leonie Bezuidenhout at (email protected). Also make a donation to the BackaBuddy-fonds which was established for Christo.