Help Eddie (Oupa) with his medical bills
About Oupa
My father, Eddie Cousins is an 83-year-old widower, father, grandfather and great grandfather.
He worked as a local builder in Amanzimtoti and Margate and contributed a lot to his community.
Most locals know Eddie for his contributions to the running community - he was an athlete most of his life. Outstanding achievements include gaining his green number running ten Comrades ultra marathons, along with many other marathons and ultras.
Eddie remains the President of Amanzimtoti Athletic Club and served on the Kwazulu Natal Marathon Runners Association where he also refereed many races. He has his Natal Colours for this.
What happened
In January 2021, Eddie cancelled his medical aid. Due to an annual increase, it cost more than he earned in his pension. This is a sad situation that many of his fellow South Africans face.
In July Eddie was admitted to a provincial hospital with a “dead leg”. Unfortunately it was much more serious than anyone could have guessed, and he had to have his left leg amputated above the knee.
This is a traumatic event for anyone, but for lifelong athletes it can be soul-crushing. Final diagnosis showed he had acute limb ischaemia. Acute limb ischemia (ALI) is a rapid decrease in lower-limb blood flow.
Eddie had a history of blood clots and the cancellation of his medical aid meant he wasn't able to get the vital blood-thinning medication he needed. He had also recently had his first Covid vaccination. Whether either or both of these are the true cause we may never know. The doctors are still running tests on him to try to figure out what happened.
Although the cause at this point matters far less than helping him.
Eddie was discharged on the 9th July 2021. While he began adjusting to his new life he sadly started to deteriorate at home. Because of the looting and riots in South Africa at the time, he had to be taken to the nearest hospital, which was private. They have now diagnosed that his right foot is also in danger and may need to be amputated too. They have attempted bypass surgery to try save the right leg and we wait and pray he recovers.
How can you help?
The hospital has estimated his bill to be at least R400,000 (£21,000). This is just for admission and surgery. He will need a lot of after care such as physio, home modifications and the ongoing costs of medications.
If you can help Eddie in any way we would be so grateful
Any donation no matter the size will be a big help to our beloved Oupa
Oupa with 2 of his granddaughters Kelly & Natalie
Oupa running the Comrades marathon with his son David in 1993
