Netcare hospitals assist shot officer with her recovery journey
A year ago, a police officer was robbed of her ability to use her legs after she was shot during a robbery.
When 34-year-old police officer Ntsako Mathebula set out for a routine patrol with her colleagues one spring morning last year, it felt like any other day.
Little did this fit and active mother of three know that it would be the last day she would ever have use of her legs. While on duty, Mathebula sustained a bullet wound to her back. This resulted in severe abdominal injuries, a collapsed lung and, most devastatingly, irreversible damage to her spinal cord, leaving her paralysed from the midback downwards, explained Dr Aneesa Khan.
Khan is a general practitioner with a special interest in physical medicine and rehabilitation and practises at Netcare Rehabilitation Hospital.
Mathebula recalled the moment her life changed when she and her colleagues pulled up to a garage in a residential area where, unbeknown to them, a robbery was underway. They immediately came under fire without any time to respond. While Mathebula and her partner survived, tragically, their commander was critically wounded and later died in hospital. “After the incident, I was in a lot of pain and could not feel my legs but I was grateful to be alive,” she said.
Mathebula was taken to Netcare Milpark Hospital in Parktown West and once stabilised, underwent scans to assess the extent of her injuries. Professor Maeyane Moeng, the academic head of trauma at the University of Witwatersrand and a trauma surgeon, along with Dr Christos Profyris, a specialist neurosurgeon, noted that the bullet had gone right through Mathebula’s spine into her small intestine.
Moeng operated to remove the bullet and address the injuries to Ntsako’s abdomen, which were severe but from which she fully recovered. The damage to her spine, however, was irreversible and after moving to Netcare Rehabilitation Hospital, the reality of her journey began to sink in.
“At first, I was in denial, I kept thinking the feeling would return to my legs and life would go back to normal. But the first time I was pushed in a wheelchair, it felt real. I tried to keep my spirits up, smiling every day and encouraging myself, but it was very hard. I now had to learn how to sit up,” said Mathebula.
Khan pointed out that one of the primary concerns in rehabilitating paraplegic patients was sensory impairment, which prevented them from feeling pain or sensing limb position. This can lead to pressure sores, which occur when the skin and underlying tissue are subjected to ongoing pressure, such as when an individual’s legs remain in the same position for lengthy periods.
He said physical and psychological therapy were important in helping patients manage their pain and the process of acceptance. The spinal cord injury experience is multi-faceted, therefore a multidisciplinary team of physiotherapists, occupational therapists, psychologists and social workers works together to give patients the strongest foundation for moving forward and having a full and happy life.
Mathebula noted that while the adjustment to this new way of life was emotionally challenging, she felt a great sense of relief and comfort in being able to talk about it with her social worker and her loved ones.
“My goal is now to master the physical aspects of living back at home so that I can care for myself and also my family. I have learned from this experience that there are some things you cannot change, but you can always change your mind. It is all about attitude. I am looking forward to going back to work in an administrative role. I am ready to start afresh, and I am still inspired to do well and to make a difference.”
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