ALBERTON- Andy Turner is a well known face to many Alberton residents, and after his illness in 2014, many people wondered what had happened to him.
From 2005 to 2007 Andy managed the Lions rugby union and he was also an International Rugby referee for 13 years. After that he was responsible for marketing and sales of the Elite group.
Andy shares that he simultaneously had a severe heart attack and stroke during the night of July 18, 2014. It happened at home and his two daughters, Bianca and Hildegard and his wife Ria, assisted him. Andy was in ICU for three weeks and in a normal ward for two and half weeks. He was first taken to Bedford Life hospital and he was later transferred to the Millpark Netcare hospital.
Upon regaining consciousness Andy didn’t know where he was or what had happened. He was very emotional and could not move or use the right side of his body at all. He could hardly speak and struggled to communicate with anybody. Doctors couldn’t do an angiogram straight away as they feared his blood was too thin and it was too dangerous. At a later stage doctors inserted a stent into his heart.
In the past few months Andy has remarkably regained use of the right hand side of his body and he is able to walk, eat, write and live a normal life. He underwent strenuous physical therapy for months and with tenacity improved his physical ability.
Andy still struggles to be understood by people when he talks, although he can understand everything. A member of his family now often accompanies him to help with translation when needed. The speech therapist who sees him three times a week is very happy with his progress, but Andy and Ria find this a very long and strenuous process. Ria has had to take over many of the tasks that Andy used to perform in the household, and the whole family has had to adapt and support him during his recovery period.
The family reiterates that they could not have come this far without the support and prayers of many people. They also rely more on God and ask Him for help every day. They know they haven’t been given a “cross” they cannot bear, and that something positive will come from this.
To anyone who has gone through a similar situation, Andy and his family have this message: “Make sure your insurance is in order, because no one is immune to something like this and most importantly, never lose hope, without faith and hope it will be even harder to cope.”
