Long road to recovery still ahead for former Onderberg farmer

KOMATIPOORT –  The 23-year-old Damian Corbett, a farmer with four years’ experience in the Lowveld farming community, took up a position in avo farming in Tzaneen earlier this year.

On May 20 the vehicle Damian was travelling in was involved in an accident. He was flung from the vehicle when it overturned and suffered major head trauma and physical fractures.

He was transported to Mediclinic Tzaneen, where it took the medical team several hours to stabilise him.

Doctors told the family it was unlikely that he would survive the day and they should say their goodbyes.

However, Damian’s will to survive proved great, and he was in an induced coma for five weeks. He suffers from diffuse axonal injury, a severe form of traumatic brain injury.

He was in ICU at Mediclinic Tzaneen for seven weeks, spent five weeks at Life Eugene Marais in Pretoria, and was then moved to Med-Step, a step-down facility. He, however, contracted pneumonia two weeks later, and had to be resuscitated and rushed back to ICU. He spent another seven weeks fighting one infection after another.

Damian was moved to Care@Midstream on September 11, where he is currently in high care.

He is also fighting a drug-resistant lung infection, but responding well to the antibiotics and physiotherapy.

Damian’s other injuries have healed since the accident, but he will require 24-hour care with medical assistance due to the extent of his brain damage.

The family will hosting a golf day at Kambaku Golf Club in Komatipoort on October 21 to raise funds for Damian’s treatment. For enquiries or bookings, contact Samantha Corbett on 083-427-4082.

Community members who would like to contribute to Damian’s care can use the following account details:

SJ Corbett

First National Bank

Account: 627 1088 2409

Branch: Malalane

To follow Damian’s progress, visit the Facebook page, Dandelion Prayers.