Miracle Mariska faced death three times and three times she came back…

Mariska Sonnekus was on the brink of death three times. And three times she came back. The 29-year-old is an inspiration to all and living proof that faith can conquer all.
She is the only survivor of a horrific head-on collision in Port Elizabeth on February 20 in which five people died on impact.
Mariska spoke to the Courier at her Glencoe home and re-counted her harrowing experience.
Doctors told her that ‘medically you are paralysed and if you ever start walking again, it will be in six to 12-months time’.
She proved them wrong. Physiotherapists said she would need 14 weeks of intensive therapy and after that, depending on her progress, another 14 weeks of treatment.
Ten days into her physiotherapy programme Mariska was standing on her feet.
A specialist re-set four moved vertebrae in her back and inserted steel plates and screws. Doctors had to re-attach her stomach muscles, drain her organs of blood and undergo a life or death operation to remove an abscess in her stomach that caused her mind numbing pain.
Overcoming all this and the death of two of her friends and business colleague, Andre Olivier (42) of France and Heimo Wiesinger (62) of Austria, and her own chronic injuries, Mariska is cheerful and back to business with her irrigation and machinery company.
Mariska who runs H&M Machinery and Irrigation from her Glencoe home is closely linked with Bauer – an international company dealing with irrigation equipment.
“We met up in Johannesburg and then flew to Port Elizabeth on February 19 for a meeting with people from another company, Turf Master. I have known Heimo for 10 years and Andre for six. We were good friends and colleagues through Bauer. We booked into a hotel and the plan was to fly back to Johannesburg on the Sunday. Heimo wanted to get back to Switzerland for his daughter’s 16th birthday on the Monday.”
On Saturday, Heimo suggested they hire a car and drive to Plettenburg Bay – a trip of 230km – to visit friends there as they did have some spare time. “Heimo really wanted to go but myself and Andre were not too keen but in the end we all agreed to go.” Twenty minutes into the trip, at about 11am, tragedy struck on the N2 near the Thornhill turn-off.
“I was in the back and Heino was driving. I was about to send a text message to my mother when I looked up, saw another hurtling towards us with its lights on. There was not even time to brake. It was a full-on smash into our Renault car.” Heimo died on impact and Andre minutes later.
Mariska says only wearing her seatbelt in the backseat saved her. “I was in incredible pain. The seatbelt had ripped the flesh off my one hip. Everything was sore.” Off duty paramedics stopped at the scene. By then she knew that the three occupants – one woman and two men – in the other vehicle were dead.
“My jeans were ripped open and my shirt shredded such was the impact. By then I realised my limbs were numb – the paramedic told me to be calm as the ambulances were coming.”
She says she experienced a ‘white vision’ while lying in the wreck off a set of white gates, which remained, closed. “I knew then that God was not ready for me yet. He wanted me to live.”
An ambulance took her to hospital where she went under surgery at St George’s Hospital. She was given morphine – so intense was the pain.
And so began and long journey back to life. “The first operation was seven hours. Then it was ICU. But my limbs were still numb. Lying there in bed I just longed for home. I thought I would never be able to walk or work again.”
Her mother, Gesiena, flew down to be with Mariska and there were hundreds of messages of support via social media and the Courier’s website. After leaving hospital, she was back two days later as an abscess in her stomach had caused her severe distress. The damaged organs had caused the infection and specialists Dr Ruan Botha told her that the operation only had a ‘slim chance of being successful as I still so weak’. “I told them to operate – I had no choice – only faith.” The operation was successful but Mariska had to cope with the pain. She did. Ten days later she was at the Aurora Hospital for intense physiotherapy. “They told me it would take six months to walk again without any aids. The feeling was coming back to some of my limbs and I persevered.” Barely ten days later she astounded specialists by walking. Gesiena, is grateful to have her only child back at home. She returned home from Port Elizabeth on April 16. She thanked Cronje Stadler for whom she works for at Microsure, for assisting her with flights to and from Port Elizabeth.
Mariska has thanked all from their prayers and care. “I only came through this because God wanted me to live. Only faith came me going – I am so grateful and blessed.”