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Seven-year-old boy back at school after crocodile attack

Seven-year-old Johandré Blom is back at school and doing well as he continues to recover after the crocodile attack in which he lost his arm.

Seven-year-old Johandré Blom has returned to school, showing incredible bravery and resilience after surviving a crocodile attack on Friday, March 21.

Johandré was playing in shallow water during a family fishing trip at the Emanzini Fishing Resort at Roodekopjes Dam near Brits when a crocodile suddenly attacked, ripping off his arm.

He was rushed to ICU in critical condition, and his family—who do not have medical aid—have been faced with mounting hospital and rehabilitation costs estimated at over R1 million.

Seven-year-old boy back at school after crocodile attack
Seven-year-old Johandré Blom. Photo: Facebook

A BackaBuddy campaign was launched to help ease the financial burden, and so far, a total of R445,143 has been raised. The campaign continues as the family works to cover the remaining expenses.

Now, just over two months after the life-changing incident, Johandré is back in the classroom at Laerskool Broederstroom—an inspiring milestone in his journey of healing and hope.

His family shared a photo of him returning to school with the following post on Facebook:

“Just a quick update.

“Nine weeks after Johandré’s victory over a crocodile, our little warrior is back at school!!!

“Johandré returned to school today and enjoyed every moment.

“He handled it very well and even missed doing homework!

“He’s looking forward to going back tomorrow and seeing all his friends again.

“There’s still a long road ahead filled with new challenges, but we are incredibly optimistic about his progress so far and so proud of our iron-strong boy.

“Every day is a blessing, and today reminded us of that once again.”

Also read: Video: Seven-year-old boy recovering at home after crocodile attack

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Corné van Zyl

Corné van Zyl is a seasoned journalist and currently a senior reporter at Rekord, with a wealth of experience across various media platforms. She began her career after studying journalism at the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) and first honed her skills at Media24. Corné’s career took her to Beeld, Sondag newspaper, and the South African Press Association (SAPA), where she built a strong foundation in news reporting. In her free time, Corné enjoys spending time with her family outdoors, embracing life and creating lasting memories with her loved ones.
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