Claudine’s Recovery

Claudine Barwise (19) suffered life threatening serious injuries on the 24th of September in a motor vehicle accident.

She was taken to the nearest government hospital (Steve Biko). Unfortunately her mother is a widow and does not have a medical aid as she cannot afford it.

While fighting for her life she was put in an induced coma and was put on life support. The coma was caused by heavy concussion in the brain. She suffered from the following injuries. C2 and C3 neck vertebra in neck fractured, both lungs collapsed, left elbow broken, left ankle crushed, open broken fracture on right leg. Numerous cuts on her body due to the fact that she was thrown out of the vehicle and was found by the paramedics caught up in barbwire. Her jaw was severely crushed.

Numerous catscans and xrays were done. She also received 6 blood transfusions. She only came out of the coma after two weeks, but was still slipping back into the coma from time to time. Her head/neck was put in traction, both her lungs were on drainage for 10 days. She was put onto oxygen to support the collapsed lungs. She received various operations in theatre. The right leg has a definitive due to the tibia that caused an open fracture. This will have to stay on for three to four months. The left ankle was treated with a fixator and fixed with plates and pins. The left elbow was also operated and fixed with pins and plates. A whole on her hip was closed up. She received an operation on her jaw which includes a thick plate which was inserted.

The quality of her life going forward will hugely depend on the next step, which is the rehabilitation treatments such as learning to walk, eat, etc as well as follow up operations and scar revision treatments with a certain possibility of having to receive skin crafts.

We're raising funds to make this possible and to help Claudine recover to the extent that she will be able to have a full and healthy life and return to normal daily activities as well as to be an active citizen returning to work, taking up studies as well as following her passion doing part time modelling.

Those of you who knows Claudine will know what a strong, bubbly, energetic and loving person she is with a zest for life, We are so proud of her fighting spirit through all of this.

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