Pate’s road to recovery

On Saturday 6 July, Our nephew Pate Raicebe was seriously injured playing Rugby Union for his club Ashgrove GPS.

Pate was flipped on his head in an illegal tackle and lost all feeling from the neck down initially straight after the tackle. After an hour or so waiting for the ambulance, he started feeling some sensation in his body except for his right leg, Pate was rushed to the hospital and into emergency surgery for over 5hrs.

Surgeons said that his C4 & C5 were completely shattered and the fragments of the bone that was placing pressure onto his spinal cord were removed relieving the pressure successfully. Doctors have advised the family that the road to recovery will be a long one and he will need to stay in hospital for approximately 6 months so they can continue to monitor his recovery as well as start rehabilitation.

Pate is young, strong and healthy, however the rehabilitation he will need to endure to be able to walk and move again will be long.

We are creating this page as we know there are many of you who have reached out and would like to contribute and help to relieve some of the financial burden the family will experience by having to take time off work.

This is a family that is always willing to help others and we would love to be able to give back to them at their time of need. Any assistance will be greatly appreciated. Vinaka!