UPDATE: Moot beggar feared dead on road to recovery
Hennie de Beer was recovering at home in Randfontein and would receive the necessary treatment.
A well-known Moot beggar previously feared dead, is recovering at home.
“He is looking so much better and is making a really good recovery,” Hennie de Bruin’s sister Belinda said.
“He is eating so much that we cannot keep up.”
Hennie made headlines last week when he was found alive having been presumed dead for a while.
Belinda said the family was relieved to find him at Steve Biko Academic hospital last Monday, where had been admitted for tuberculosis.
Belinda said Hennie was discharged from hospital on Friday.
ALSO READ: Shock as ‘dead’ Moot beggar is found alive
Since then he has been recovering at his family home in Randfontein where the sister hoped he’d also receive the necessary support to kick “bad habits”.
“We will take him to a rehabilitation facility on Wednesday,” she said.
“During the first month of his treatment, he will be placed on a very strict programme.”
Belinda said costs for Hennie’s rehabilitation treatment were covered thanks to a donation by several car dealerships of the area.
“We as a family are very grateful for this donation,” she said.
“There are a lot of people who care for Hennie and we are grateful for the help, which has enabled him to make a positive change.”
Hennie had become a familiar face to motorists and residents of the Moot on the corner of Steve Biko Road and Flowers Street, where he has stood begging for years.
Belinda said Hennie was diagnosed with Huntington disease, a progressive brain disorder that resulted in uncontrolled movement, emotional problems, and loss of reason.
About two weeks ago, news of Hennie’s “death” spread across social media platforms.
Ward councillor Elma Nel, who has supported the family through the ordeal, said Hennie’s friends had mistakenly “confirmed he was dead”.
When news reached his family, they drove to Pretoria.
ALSO READ: Police arrest 78 during weekend crime sweep
“We went to every mortuary in Pretoria trying to track him down, but we couldn’t find him,” his mother, Elize Rootman said last week.
Thanks to the police, Hennie was finally tracked down in the hospital.
Nel said she was happy to hear the positive news of Hennie’s recovery.
“I was very happy to hear that he is doing well and will receive the necessary treatment,” she said.
*Please note this article has been amended.
Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to editorial@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.
For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord’s websites:
For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram
