My brother Alex was shot in the head during a robbery and the medical aid has cut funding for all his therapy related services. 24 months of therapy have been recommended, 8 months in, we are attempting to raise R2 million for his therapy. On 17 September 2016, we received one of those shocking phone calls that changed our lives forever and in the blink of an eye; our family became a dreaded crime statistic. Miraculously, Alex survived the headshot and has been hospitalised for the past 7 months. His recovery has alternated between Hospital ICUs and Rehabilitation Facilities. 9 surgeries and 2 stints in Rehabilitation facilities later, Alex has shown great improvement and is well on his way to learn to eat orally. But for now, he still relies on the tube in the stomach. It has been a rollercoaster ride for all of us. Just when we think he is finally stable and that his recovery is moving in the right direction, Alex sufferers a setback. On Saturday, 22 April 2017, Alex was admitted to the Netcare Union Hospital ICU for the 5th time, to receive his 9th Neuro surgery. He has received the best critical care that his medical aid covers, however, a few weeks ago our family was notified that the fund will no longer be covering the costs for his daily therapy, i.e. Neuro-physio, speech and occupational therapy. He is to leave the Netcare Auckland Park Rehab Hospital and transferred to a step-down facility close to his home and immediate family with no further treatments. While the medical aid will cover a portion of his monthly accommodation, NO other costs will be paid. This includes the vital rehabilitation therapies mentioned above. All 3 Neuro Surgeons that have operated on Alex, namely Dr Mboyane: Netcare Union Hospital, Dr Mpotoane: Vereeniging Mediclinic and Dr Ranshod: Netcare Auckland Park Rehabilitation Hospital, families cannot give up on therapy for the first 24 months from date of Traumatic Brain Injury. Therefore, we are left with 17 months of remaining treatments needed. Thus, we would like to ask for some support from the community to continue providing Alex with the critical therapy he needs for his recovery and so that he can live a somewhat normal life thereafter. The nursing home he will be transferred to has Occupational and Speech Therapists available, which we will need to pay for out of pocket. They do not, however, have a Neuro Physiotherapist, which we will also have to employ/appoint for his recovery. We need all the assistance we can get to get him the physical therapy he needs, hence our drive to sell up to 75 000 microwave heat-able beanie bags, called Thera-Bs. Some quick facts about Alex:
• 46-years old
• An amazing father who raised 5 children as his own, including 1 adopted daughter and 2 step-children.
• A proud, and young, grandfather of a 21 month old
• A wonderful husband
• A brother with an attitude
• A hard-working man who ran his own Elevator installation Contractor Business
• A caring human that would help you with any crisis
