Upper Highway resident comes out victorious after paralysing accident

A HEADWAY Natal patient has a newfound appreciation for the strength of community in times of difficulty. Anton Stoffberg – a 57-year-old father of one – is particularly grateful for the pivotal role the Westville community has had in his recovery, following an accident in October 2021 which left his lower body paralysed.

“The branch I was sitting on broke, and underneath me was a boundary precast wall. The branch on which I was sitting hit the precast wall, and my lower spine took a direct impact, shattering my L1 vertebrae – I was paralysed from the waist down,” he explained.

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Coming from an active life before the incident, Anton accomplished road and trail long-distance races, having completed five Comrades Marathons and a Karkloof 100-miler. “Running, surfing and cycling were my passions; it was very hard to accept what happened to me, but I had to make the best of the situation.”

Journey to recovery

After staying in King Edward Hospital for three weeks, Anton was transferred to King Dinuzulu in November for his L1 infusion spine operation. It was an incomplete spine injury which meant the spine was not totally severed. “I was excited and anticipated that the much-needed spine operation would follow soon. However, I had to wait until December 20 for the operation. I was prepped on four different dates for theatre after which the operation was cancelled due to the theatre air conditioners not working. On the fifth date, December 20, 2021, I eventually received the operation. By December 31, 2021, the staples were removed from the 20cm cut on my back. I was optimistic that I would fully recover and still make it in time for the 2022 Comrades.”

When he started physio and occupational therapy (OT) on January 2, 2022, Anton was still paralysed with no movement in his legs. He had to learn to sit up straight without falling over. Only bandages tied around his ankles allowed him to get out of bed every morning. “The OT [occupational therapist], Caitlyn Waters, was incredibly dedicated to her work. She taught me how to transfer from the bed to a wheelchair and back, to transfer from the wheelchair to a toilet and back and everything else for me to be as independent as possible.”

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Anton said he was petrified when he went back home to his single living. “With her guidance and training, I became more and more independent. Just transferring onto a wheelchair and rolling around the ward, teasing the nurses, brought me immense freedom and fun. I cannot stop praising Caitlyn because she laid the foundation for me to be totally independent. Caitlyn also encouraged me to apply for admittance at the Hillcrest Government Hospital for rehabilitation and medical care, which I did. Towards the end of January 2022, I started to move my toes, which was fantastic,” he said.

To progress in his recovery, Anton was admitted to the Hillcrest Government Hospital for medical care and rehabilitation on April 20, 2022. He said the medical staff, and especially the social worker, were friendly and supportive. During this time, he not only did physiotherapy and OT, but he also received essential medical care. He was suffering from continuous bladder infections which have since improved. “I live on my own and have to support myself. Being in a wheelchair at my age in tough economic times made me very scared to go back into mainstream life after being discharged from Hillcrest Government Hospital on 31 March 2023.”

Anton’s efforts, as well as the hard work of various medical practitioners, have begun to pay off. “I’m continuing my physio at Headway, and at this stage, I have about 80% movement in my legs. Although I’m still wheelchair-bound, I can, with specially designed boots and using a walker, walk around normally. I have a long way to go to build back the muscle strength, though.”

Strength in community

Anton said he had anchors throughout his journey, like his 11-year-old son, Adyn. “There were many times when I was deep in the rabbit hole, and I thought of my beautiful boy, Adyn, and how tough life is and that I want to be there for him.”

He also expressed gratitude for his sister and his family at Chiltern Athletics Club. “I cannot express in words how grateful I am for my friends who support me; they have been the wind in my sails. There was a time when I needed private medical care and had to visit my mom in Johannesburg, who was ill. I didn’t have funds for either, and my Chiltern family and friends raised funds for both. Again, when I was at the bottom of the rabbit hole, I would think of them and that I didn’t want to disappoint them. How can I not want to fight back with so much support?”

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Anton went on to thank the Buddhist community for their compassion and assistance. “I’m a Buddhist and live at a Buddhist Meditation Centre behind Westville Mall. I couldn’t have been at a better place to help me cope with the mental and spiritual challenges. The Buddhist community has also been incredibly supportive. What has been amazing is how Buddhists all over the world have prayed and also raised funds to assist where I needed help.”

To make progress in his life, Anton is looking for employment as he is currently working temporarily, and his contract ends in February. “I have to pay rent and buy food, etc. I ran out of money and had to look for work as a priority. The financial stress has sometimes mentally paralysed me, but I’ve had to pull myself up and move on. I’m grateful to Kevin Stanley for giving me temporary employment till the end of January as part of Stanley Stationer’s ‘back-to-school’ project,” said Anton.

With the help of Driving Ambitions at QuadPara, Anton recently obtained his adapted driver’s licence, but the next challenge is to obtain an automatic car which can open more employment doors. He is optimistic about his recovery and future endeavours and thankful for the community which has taken him thus far.

If anybody can assist Anton with long-term employment, please email him at anton@awqs.co.za for a resume and further information. The community is welcome to reach out to him for help on his number at 082 224 8616.

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