Waverley resident opens up about his Covid-19 journey
“It was the worst three weeks for me and my family."
A Waverley resident who was admitted to the ICU after testing positive for Covid-19 has told of how his life turned “upside down in the blink of an eye”.
Ernie Pieterse (31) was admitted to hospital on 23 June, after testing positive.
“The pandemic hit me hard because after testing positive, I realised that I also had asthma,” Pieterse said.
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“I could feel my body was weak. I struggled to breath and had a difficult time to getting out of bed.”
When Pieterse was discharged from Montana hospital, he went into self-isolation for seven days.
He got quite emotional speaking of the physical and emotional impact it had on his family as well as himself.
“It was the worst three weeks for me and my family.”
Pieterse has two boys – a one-year-old and a four-year-old.
On a video posted by Pieterse on social media, his youngest son could be seen standing outside the window at their home in Waverley, tapping with his finger against the window.
“He is too little to understand what was going on at the time. I asked him ‘do you miss me my son?’ It was heartbreaking not being able to give him a hug or hold him.
“What makes me so angry is that there are still people who think it’s a joke and walk [around] without their masks.”
On 3 August, he went back to the doctor for a check-up on his lungs.
“Both lungs were clean, Covid-19 free,” he said.
The doctor advised him to shave off his beard, because a germ ‘Zanru’ gets stuck in one’s beard.
“I have been growing a beard since November and it was the first time that my youngest son saw me without a beard,” he said.
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“Thank you for everyone’s prayers and support through the difficult time. Thank you for those who kept me healthy by placing dinner, bread and milk at our doorstep.
“We have received many prayers from people who care.
“Most but not least, my mainstay, Annika Pieterse. We serve an almighty God… All glory to God.”
Pieterse still does not know where he might have contracted the virus.
“I am up and running again, back to my old self.”
Pieterse, who works for Burning Bush in Centurion, thanked family members, friends and the church for their support and prayers.
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