No Leg No Limits
Donation protected
On the 19th of June 2019, my brothers life was completely changed and now after 26 years will be different for the rest of his life.
Motorbikes have always been Daniel's passion. It runs in our blood. My parents taught him how to ride a motorbike before he could even talk properly, he was 2 and a half years old when he was riding around on his own little bike.
On the 19th of June he was involved in a motorcycle accident. This wasn't a high speed crash, this was two minutes from my parents house, a gent jumped a stop sign and my brother's normal would never be normal again.
He hit straight into the car on his right hand side, crushed his femur, fractured his wrist and hand, almost completely ripped his foot off and flew 35m in the air and hitting the concrete.
As Daniel does not have private medical insurance he was in a state hospital in South Africa. It was 5 weeks of operations, skin grafts, tests and lots of prayers to try save his right foot.
Eventually we were told that his foot had gotten infected and septicemia was setting in, Daniel had to choose if he was to keep his foot, there would be countless more operations, excruciating pain and the chance of it still needing to be amputated or at 26 years old he could sign the paperwork to give permission for the operation to take place.
By the time the operation was scheduled the infection was spreading up his leg and we were not sure how far up his leg the doctor would need to amputate. The doctor amputated about mid way up his right calf. and after some more time in hospital eventually Daniel was allowed to leave the hospital missing part of his leg but making up for that with his fighting spirit.
After a while at home he decided that it was time to get back on a bike. This was hard for him and all of us around him that love him, however, anyone who has ever met Daniel knows that his biggest passion in life is being on two wheels. The moment he got back on and started moving he said it was the most 'whole' he had felt since before the accident. However with only 1 leg it is quite difficult doing every day tasks. He is now fully reliant on a wheelchair and a pair of crutches.
Not having private medical care has really put a huge financial burden on Daniel and my family. The waiting time for a prosthetic leg through the South African state is at least 3 years (the current waiting time for a wheelchair through the State is 1 year).
Daniel has the biggest fighting spirit and is not letting his disability get in the way of his passion and his will to live life to the fullest. He has been gifted some components of a prosthetic leg, however we are asking for donations for a leg that has some more mobility in the ankle so Daniel can walk on a pavement with slight ridges with ease.
Please help me get my brother back on two feet to keep inspiring everyone he meets and keep his dream of being on two wheels alive.
This is what Daniel himself has to say about getting back onto a bike:
"A lot of people will be emotional about me getting back on a bike. I don't think you guys understand the importance of this. Riding bike is not just something I do. Riding bike is something my mom and dad taught me when I was two and a half. I could ride a bike before a bicycle.. this is something my father and I have always done together and the memories we share from it will go on to my children one day.
Getting back on these bikes has been incredible but the best part is that both my dad and I laboured to build these bikes because we are passionate about it.
I WILL NEVER STOP.
My dad always taught me "my boy, if you fall you get back up and show it who is boss."
I wasn't able to on the day but here is the beginning of the process!"
Thank you for taking the time out to read this and pledging your support.
Motorbikes have always been Daniel's passion. It runs in our blood. My parents taught him how to ride a motorbike before he could even talk properly, he was 2 and a half years old when he was riding around on his own little bike.
On the 19th of June he was involved in a motorcycle accident. This wasn't a high speed crash, this was two minutes from my parents house, a gent jumped a stop sign and my brother's normal would never be normal again.
He hit straight into the car on his right hand side, crushed his femur, fractured his wrist and hand, almost completely ripped his foot off and flew 35m in the air and hitting the concrete.
As Daniel does not have private medical insurance he was in a state hospital in South Africa. It was 5 weeks of operations, skin grafts, tests and lots of prayers to try save his right foot.
Eventually we were told that his foot had gotten infected and septicemia was setting in, Daniel had to choose if he was to keep his foot, there would be countless more operations, excruciating pain and the chance of it still needing to be amputated or at 26 years old he could sign the paperwork to give permission for the operation to take place.
By the time the operation was scheduled the infection was spreading up his leg and we were not sure how far up his leg the doctor would need to amputate. The doctor amputated about mid way up his right calf. and after some more time in hospital eventually Daniel was allowed to leave the hospital missing part of his leg but making up for that with his fighting spirit.
After a while at home he decided that it was time to get back on a bike. This was hard for him and all of us around him that love him, however, anyone who has ever met Daniel knows that his biggest passion in life is being on two wheels. The moment he got back on and started moving he said it was the most 'whole' he had felt since before the accident. However with only 1 leg it is quite difficult doing every day tasks. He is now fully reliant on a wheelchair and a pair of crutches.
Not having private medical care has really put a huge financial burden on Daniel and my family. The waiting time for a prosthetic leg through the South African state is at least 3 years (the current waiting time for a wheelchair through the State is 1 year).
Daniel has the biggest fighting spirit and is not letting his disability get in the way of his passion and his will to live life to the fullest. He has been gifted some components of a prosthetic leg, however we are asking for donations for a leg that has some more mobility in the ankle so Daniel can walk on a pavement with slight ridges with ease.
Please help me get my brother back on two feet to keep inspiring everyone he meets and keep his dream of being on two wheels alive.
This is what Daniel himself has to say about getting back onto a bike:
"A lot of people will be emotional about me getting back on a bike. I don't think you guys understand the importance of this. Riding bike is not just something I do. Riding bike is something my mom and dad taught me when I was two and a half. I could ride a bike before a bicycle.. this is something my father and I have always done together and the memories we share from it will go on to my children one day.
Getting back on these bikes has been incredible but the best part is that both my dad and I laboured to build these bikes because we are passionate about it.
I WILL NEVER STOP.
My dad always taught me "my boy, if you fall you get back up and show it who is boss."
I wasn't able to on the day but here is the beginning of the process!"
Thank you for taking the time out to read this and pledging your support.
Organizer
Melissa Harris
Organizer
England
