Rory Clarke (23) is a testament to miracles after surviving a life-threatening motorcycle accident and cancer.
August 30, 2019, was the day he almost lost his life.
While riding his Hyosung GT650 motorcycle down Bodmin Road on his way home toward the traffic circle on Padstow Street, a woman driving up Bodmin Road on the opposite side of the road from the traffic circle turned right in front of him to go down Telawarren Street.
An eyewitness told Clarke’s father, the police and paramedics that he was flung 15m into the air and over 10m between two road sign poles and the electrical box on the other side of the road.
Clarke slammed into the wall behind the electrical box and fell to the ground. Almost losing his life, he was rushed to Thelle Mogoerane Regional Hospital in Vosloorus.
His father later informed him that he had a broken right leg, hip and left arm and a punctured right lung.
“My face and hands were so swollen I couldn’t hold anything or talk properly. I lay in the hospital bed, unable to get up for close to a month, waiting for my lung to heal enough that the pipe could be removed, and I had to blow on a glove to gain enough strength back before surgery on my leg and arm could be performed,” says Clarke.
He had his birthday while confined to the hospital bed, still with broken bones and unable to even go to the bathroom. He said it was a daunting experience because he was constantly in pain.
Support structure
To top it off, he said his girlfriend at the time broke up with him, leaving him to deal with the heartache and the trauma of the accident.
“My dad stood by me throughout my stay in the hospital. He never missed a visit and always stayed till the nurses kicked him out. I only had my operation on September 27, 2019, and finally came home afterwards. At home, my dad took care of me. Picked me up and carried me to the toilet and bath,” explained Clarke.
As he gradually recovered, his father constantly checked on him, regardless of his work.
He said he still suffers from nerve damage to his right leg, which is now shorter than the left leg, and his toes on the right foot had curled up, and he could not move them.
“I didn’t let this get me down. I even started to work half-day building motorcycle trikes with my father. I lost my apprenticeship as an armature winder because of this accident. As time passed, I became more and more able to work longer hours. I was getting stronger and started to gym again, then bang, everything changed,” he said.
Things take a different turn
Just as he got back on his feet, he was diagnosed with cancer. On October 21, 2021, he found a lump on the right side of his neck.
Clarke and his father thought it was a swollen gland and left it at that.
“The next day, it was still there, so back to the doctors I went. They did a biopsy on the lump. On November 12, 2021, I discovered I was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s T-cell lymphoma, an aggressive cancer of the lymph nodes. Another nightmare started,” he said.
He said he was fortunate that his supportive father was by his side and never once gave up the good fight.
After hearing many stories about the side effects of chemo, Clarke decided not to pursue the treatment.
“My dad immediately contacted Liza from Laser Lipo, an angel in my life who, from that point on, stood by me financially and morally. She gave me the strongest costly cannabis drops available at no cost to me. Liza would not take payment from my dad for them. The drops helped tremendously to manage the pain,” said Clarke.
A month later, the little lump had grown to the size of two tennis balls, and he couldn’t move his head to look down. His nose bled profusely at least three times a week.
“My dad then started the struggle to get me admitted into Helen Joseph Hospital. The lump had gone from a small bump to a huge tumour protruding from my neck. It felt like I was growing another head out of my throat. I was transferred to Johannesburg General Hospital (Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital) soon after,” he said.
In the hospital Oncology ward, he was given a painful form of chemo directly into his spine, just like an epidural.
“The tumour disappeared overnight, and I received my first dose of red devil (strong chemo). I was discharged on January 23, last year, with the instructions to return once every two weeks for chemo. I later underwent surgery as I had a gaping hole in my throat and was taken off the chemo to give the hole cancer caused a chance to close,” he explained.
Last lap
Again, while lying in the hospital, his new girlfriend broke up with him – a feeling he knew all too well he also had to deal with.
Again, he was left to deal with heartache and fight cancer, but his father stayed by his side.
He said Liza ensured he ate well by sending him food through Mr Delivery daily before finally going home last March.
After another dose of chemo, he lost weight and his hair, “which, for a guy my age, was very embarrassing”.
“I went from 75kg to 50kg and had to have chemo every two weeks. I struggled to gain weight, and now I weigh 65kg. Last July, I received my last dose of chemotherapy. On August 1, 2022, the doctor told me I was in remission. That was the happiest day of my life. I’m going for my next check-up in November,” Clarke said.
He thanked the doctors, his father and Liza for their unwavering support and care throughout his journey.
“I’d like to thank the Alberton Record for allowing me to share my story. If I could inspire just one person going through a difficult time in life, then sharing this journey is worth it,” he said.
