Four friends finished the Trans Agulhas Challenge for two cochlear implants.
Every couple of years, Dr. Duane Mol, Tommie van der Walt, Jonathan Starkey, and Jason Moyle take on an adventurous challenge to raise funds for charity.
Their most recent challenge was tackling the Trans Agulhas Challenge to obtain sponsorship for two cochlear implants.
The implants will go towards patients who can’t afford them due to not having the necessary medical aid funding.
Southern ENT donated two cochlear implants worth R310,000, while The Eye and Ear Clinic in Meyersdal offered their theatre and the surgery, which is worth about R190,000.
Vian Lindeque (2) was the first patient to receive a cochlea implant from this venture.
Vian’s Story
Ryno and Melissa Lindeque from Benoni noticed there was a problem with their second-born when he did not respond to them talking to him.
“At first, we thought he was just preoccupied and lacking concentration. He reached some of his milestones a little later than expected, so we thought he was just a late bloomer,” said Melissa.
When we found out our boy was deaf, it was a big shock and not the news any parent wants to hear. At first, we did not want to believe it. It feels like your soul is draining from you. We are sad for his part.
We’ve been through a series of emotions already. Sadness, denial and anger about how unfair it is. Then comes the realisation that we have to be strong for him, try to do the best for him, such as medically and speech therapy.
Vian’s parents took him to Yolande van der Westhuizen Audiology, where audiologist Marike Haasbroek told the family about Vian being deaf and assisted him with hearing aids.
“Marike has been there since the beginning and is still part of Vian’s journey. Always caring and helpful,” she said.
Vian was then referred to Prof. Leigh Biagio de Jager at the Zuid-Afrikaans Hospital in Pretoria to do more tests.
They then took Vian to the Johannesburg Cochlear Implant Centre in Rosebank, where he went for more tests and worked with Leone Nauta.
He also received speech therapy from Almeri Scott.
Melissa said Almeri and Leone were so passionate about their jobs and went the extra mile.
“They were so welcoming and caring towards us. We received amazing service from them. With their help, Dr. Mol heard about us and we about him,” said Melissa.
At the Ear and Eye Clinic in Meyersdal, the family had a few consultations with Mol, and on 15 March, Vian had the cochlear implant.
Let me tell you, from the security guard at the gate to all the staff members at the clinic, everyone was so helpful, friendly and professional. They were really exceptional.
We saw how many earth angels we have around us. Each person who worked with Vian was so good in their different fields and all changed our lives for the better.
The family said they were so excited about the future and couldn’t wait for their little boy to hear them say “I love you.”
We are looking forward to going through the recovery process with Vian and to just being part of the little moments to come. We have been so blessed and are grateful for everyone and everything.
They thanked Mol and his friends for creating hope and changing lives. “Thank you for giving our boy the gift of hearing.”
Always Up for a Challenge
The four friends trained with Billy Bezuidenhout (from Secunda) for the Trans Agulhas Challenge. They bought a boat from a previous racer, fixed it up and branded it.
“We trained on the Vaal River and the times we could go to the coast to train, the weather did not play along,” said Mol.
The Trans Agulhas Challenge, known as the world’s toughest inflatable boat challenge, started on 28 December in Plettenberg Bay and continued for four days along the coast between Nature’s Valley and Gordon’s Bay, where the race finished.
The four friends had to finish the race before getting the sponsorship worth R500,000.
With anticipation, the friends completed the 700km race and ended 24th out of 32 teams. Eight teams had already retired from the race.
“It was the first time for all of us. We took it day by day and made it through various obstacles. Racing towards the finishing line, we had to put machine and body to the test,” he said.
For them, it was a tough race but an experience they enjoyed and one that also pushed them to step out of their comfort zones. “When we got to the finishing line each day, we were just so relieved to have made it before the cut-off time.”
A Big Thank You
Mol is still looking for the second cochlear implant candidate, but he is happy to have helped Vian as the first cochlear implant patient.
A big thank you to Southern ENT, Imprint, Titan Metal and Star Recycling, and The Ear and Eye Clinic for making the two implants possible and for their sponsorship of the Trans Agulhas Challenge.
Also, thank you to Diagnostic Radiological Services Inc for assisting with scans.
He also thanked the organiser of the race, Stefan Lindeque, and their coach, Billy, for their support.
This article first appeared on The Citizen website.