WHILE driving home on Saturday (31 August) evening Johnathan Cookson was not prepared for what greeted him on the road ahead.
There, in the middle of fast lane on the M13, going towards Westville, the 30-year-old man said he spotted, what appeared to be a young man sitting, clutching his leg and screaming in agony.
His right tibia had been broken. It had snapped in half and was hanging on by just a piece of flesh.
“It was a horrific scene. There was so much blood. I suspected that he had been involved in a hit-and-run,” Cookson told the Highway Mail.
The Westville resident said he then quickly pulled over and called 10111, and requested an ambulance before running onto the highway to assist the man.
After dragging the injured man to the side of the road he removed the lace from one of his shoes and tied it around the man’s leg to stop the blood flow.
“I then waited with him and rubbed his back, and comforted him with assurance that I’m here to help, that I’m not going anywhere, the doctors will be here soon, to focus on my hand and not his leg,” said Cookson.
It was at this point that he discovered how the 29-year-old had ended up in this horrific condition.
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“While we waited, I found out that he had been mugged on top of the bridge just after the average speed camera heading towards Westville, and had to jump down onto the M13 to save his life,” Cookson said, adding that the thieves had taken the man’s phone and his entire month’s wage.
He also learned that the man’s name was Jaden.
“He was begging for someone to contact his brother, as he wouldn’t know what had happened to him. He only knew the work number of his brother and asked for him to be called on Monday. The ambulance came to assist him and I left the scene.”
Cookson said he experienced a restless evening, and worried about the young man who he knew had no one to help him, and no medical aid – so he decided to try and track him down.
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He spent the Saturday night and the entire Sunday morning calling various government hospitals.
After being transferred from one department to another he finally had a breakthrough; one woman suggested to him that because of the location of the accident the injured man had most likely been taken to R K Khan Hospital.
Cookson immediately phoned the hospital, but was then met with a new challenge: he only knew Jaden’s first name and heard it incorrectly as Aden.
For two hours he searched the hospital, hoping to find Jaden.
And then, as luck would have it, Cookson finally found Jaden in the very last ward.
“He looked like he had seen a ghost when he saw me. I will never forget that look. He was so thankful and shocked that I had hunted him down to check on him. His leg was wrapped up and he was going to go for the op [that] afternoon.”
Cookson then took down the number of Jaden’s boss to update him on the situation and Jaden’s condition.
He also gave Jaden (whose surname he now learned is Gonyor) all the money he had on him, which was R300 and offered to pay his rent, which is R500.
When Cookson visited Gonyor on Wednesday last week he was thrilled to learn that the doctors managed to save his leg.
On that day they also made contact with Gonyor’s brother.
“He is a gardener working one day a week for a man. He’s the only bread winner in his family so I’m trying to help as much as possible,” he said, adding that he hopes to raise funds for Gaynor’s medical expenses.
“We shared a real moment that Saturday evening. I am sure that he is going to need extensive rehabilitation as well,” he said.
For those who wish to help with the fundraising initiative:
Gro Bank
Branch number: 410506
Bank of Athens
Account number: MUKURU MONEY 51120753299
Reference: 5338 9228 5841 1934
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