Alberton High learner stuck in hospital after near fatal motorcycle accident

Alberton High learner Luke Cleton has been in hospital since May 31 after he was involved in a near-fatal motorcycle accident from which he miraculously survived.

It is unclear what exactly occurred before an injured Luke was found on the road.

“The accident happened very close to home. Luke went to buy us takeaways for supper. We are still unsure of what happened. When I found him, he was alone. I don’t know if other vehicles are involved,” said an emotional Roslyn van der Merwe, Luke’s mother.

The bright 18-year-old matric learner is, however, not out of the woods yet.

Van der Merwe has been struggling to deal with her son’s medical costs, as he is still unconscious in the trauma ICU.

“Doctors say his muscles deteriorated from laying in a hospital bed, with most of his injuries internal, affecting his organs, severe bleeding, broken ribs and bones, punctured lungs and a whole lot more than a teen should go through.”

A heartbroken Roslyn said he enjoyed keeping busy and physical activities before the accident.

“He played rugby at school but is actually a soccer player. He played for Robertsham Callies before Covid-19 hit,” she said.

“He worked by fixing cars to make money and used that money to buy his bike because I work far away, and could not pick him up and drop him off at school. He used the bike to travel to school,” added Roslyn.

Luke needs physiotherapy, specific dietary requirements, and constant monitoring by surgeons and nurses, which the single mother can no longer afford. The family is reaching out to willing Samaritans to chip in whatever amount of money they can afford to help Luke’s family keep him in the hospital.

The family has only managed to raise R52 000 from public donors, a BackaBuddy campaign, but needs about R1.5m to keep their son hospitalised and taken good care of.

Contact Van der Merwe on 076 137 8047, or donate directly through Cleton’s BackaBuddy.