Personal message

Hello my name is Barend Coetzee. I am a paraplegic due to an unfortunate car accident in 1997. So far, I have been greatly blessed with good health, and I have been participating in numerous SA championships for cycling. I have lived a very full and active life until the year. At the beginning of 2023, I started to struggle with blood clots in my lungs. I was hospitalized in January for the blood clots, which was resolved soon after with medication. Then, I started to struggle with a blockage in my stomach and bladder infections which affected my whole digestive system. The doctors suggested a stoma, which I then got due to my health deteriorating. During the operation, there were complications that resulted in a lengthy hospital stay and numerous operations after the initial operation. I developed sepsis and a big bed sore on my hip in this time. After a three-month hospital stay and lots of weeks in ICU, I finally returned home.  I was weak, and the recovery slow. In October, the bed sore reached a point of high infection, which placed me back in our local hospital for numerous weeks. My stomach problems arose in this time once again, and I was referred to a specialist in Bloemfontein. I was admitted in the hospital due to high infections counts, stomach problems that caused great amounts of nausea, and 2 big bedsores on my hip and sacral area. After 54 days in the hospital in Bloemfontein and numerous operations to cut away at the bed sore to get it to healthy tissue to help it heal, I am home.  I am left with several months of wound care for the bed sore so that in time, they will hopefully heal. So, unfortunately, my medical aid is unable to cover all my medical bills, for example, all the blood tests, scans, and home wound care. I am left with medical debt of almost a R100,000 which have accumulated after this terrible year of bad health. If it is in any way possible, I would greatly appreciate any help I can get to alleviate this burden from the debt. Any donation will be greatly appreciated, big or small. For any further information or questions, please message my daughter Marsha at 078 557 7091.

Donations