FARM ATTACK – FIANCE SHOT – GOAL R 50 000

Just after midnight on the 4^th May 2019, they (3 armed men) broke through the electric fence and gained access to our yard. Began by throwing a rock at the windscreen of our motor vehicle, which woke us up. They then proceeded to throw rocks at our sliding door, in an attempt to get us to go outside to investigate. (They clearly had been around the property a few times, giving our dogs the chance to get to know their smells, as our dogs did not even bark).

They surrounded our little 1-bedroom home, one outside our bedroom window and two by our front door (glass sliding door, the only entrance/exit to the house). Once we got up and switched on the bedroom light, they fired the first shot through the bedroom window, missing me by only centimetres. I quickly managed to call for help before going to investigate by trying to see what was happening through the sliding door. Only to be surprised that already one man was there waiting for me, crow bar in hand. He used the crow bar to open the sliding door, in an attempt to fight him off using pepper spray, he shot me in the neck. Due to where the bullet lodged, I lost all feeling from the chest down and naturally I fell.  While lying on the floor, I still tried to fight with my arms and hands with a garden knife, but nothing phased him at that point. He then again using the crow bar, broke through the security gate and walked in.

Pointing his firearm at Michelle (my fiancé), making demands of anything valuable. She told him “Take what you can find”, (which there actually was nothing), he picked up an empty laptop bag, asking where the laptop was, in his haste he did not notice, it was literally a few steps from where he was standing. I told him, “there is no laptop, it’s just a bag”, he threw the laptop bag down. Michelle then slid her mobile phone across the floor saying “This is all we have”. He picked up the phone and walked out, mumbling something in his own language.

All the while, thanking the good Lord that Michelle was not physically harmed through this. Help was not too far away, luckily, but the men got away and as far as we know, they have not been caught.

Subsequent to that, I was in hospital for almost 5 weeks, now with T4 paraplegia. The surgeons are not willing to operate, as it is too risky. A portion of my spine has been severed and the bullet will now be a permanent reminder of this. I was discharged last Wednesday 5^th June and am trying to adapt. Michelle and I not only are still dealing with the trauma of that night, we are now dealing with me having to live in a wheel chair, possibly, for the rest of my life. Once again, however, thanking the Lord that my life was spared that night. Trauma, anger, resentment and damage all stemmed from that fateful night, for nothing but a mobile phone.

We have used up all of our savings as well as the donations which have been received, for a few of the medical items needed, which we are very grateful for.

We seek funding not only for the day to day care of myself, but also the additional physical and occupational therapy which is now required.

Any donations would be appreciated, every cent counts.