Written by: Toni de Beer
Article source: JOY! Magazine
The 16th of April 2014 started off as a normal working day, like any other. My wife and I left for work at around 6:30am, she was in our bakkie and I was on my motorbike. Little did we know how drastically our lives would change only 10 minutes later on this rainy morning. At an intersection in Westville (Durban), a car suddenly turned in front of me, causing me to slam on my brakes. Because the roads were wet, I lost control of the bike and landed underneath a car. The last thing that I remember is a man coming to me and asking if I was okay. I took my phone out of my backpack, told him the names of my wife and boss, and asked him to please phone them.
I then closed my eyes…
Photo of me on the motorbike a couple of years before the accident
Waking up in ICU
Ten days later I woke up in ICU at St Augustines Hospital. Three or four nurses came to me and said that they were so happy that I was awake, as they had been praying for me since I first arrived at the hospital. I had shattered my left knee when I fell off the motorbike and that had severed the blood flow to the rest of the leg. Apparently during the first of many operations, my blood pressure had dropped so low that they had to stop operating – otherwise I would have died. Because it took them a long time to operate, my leg basically died. Later my kidneys packed up.
“I needed to be thankful that I was alive, even though I had lost a leg.”
In hospital before the amputation as doctors were trying to save my leg
Covered in prayers
I praise God for all the people who were praying for me, both inside and outside the hospital. I spent nine weeks in hospital, during which time the doctors were battling to save my leg. It was very swollen, half dead, and very painful due to the daily changing of the dressings. Eventually the decision was made to amputate the leg. I only realised later that the Lord had prepared me for this – it was clear while I was in hospital that my leg would never be the same again, so by the time they wanted to amputate I was ready for it.
I recently received my “new leg” after more than 7 years. Learning to walk again.
Feeling sorry for myself
At some stage during my hospital stay, I started feeling sorry for myself. I started wondering why this had happened to me. Very clearly the Lord said to me that although I had lost a leg, I was still alive. It was very hard, but it made me realise that I needed to change my attitude. I felt that the Lord was telling me that His grace was sufficient for me to cope with my new situation. Right there it was clear to me that I needed to make a decision to be positive and be thankful that I was alive, even though I had lost a leg and that my life would never be the same again.
“Seven years later and the Lord is using my situation to minister to people.”
My 3 sons who together with my wife have been very supportive.
I was not alone
The Lord was with me, I needed to be positive and show people around me that I was grateful to be alive and give all the glory to God and be a witness for Him. The grace of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ was sufficient for me to cope. He gave me an amazing peace about losing my leg and facing life with only one leg.
Staying positive for His glory
Seven years later I still have complete peace about my situation and the Lord is using my situation to minister to people who regularly tell me that they are amazed at how positive I am. It is a great opening to tell people about what the Lord has done in my life. We serve an almighty God and all the honour and glory goes to Him. He will never leave us nor forsake us, regardless of what happens.
At my youngest son’s wedding in August last year
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Date published: 09/01/2022
Feature image: My wife Bev and I about 2 years after the accident.
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