Roger
Roger Steven Jooste was involved in a car accident on Wednesday 9th March 2011. His friend who was driving was killed instantly. Roger is 17 years old and is currently fighting for his life in the Medi Clinic in Nelspruit. Please hold him and his family in the light.
All prayers and absent healing will make a huge difference. The combined energies will allow healing to take place according to the plan of his individual soul.
At the same time, we believe that we should document his progress and to this end have started this page. As of today, 17 March 2011, we know that he has suffered severe brain trauma and has been in a coma since the accident. He has undergone two surgeries – one to clean out all the blood that collected in his lungs at the time of the accident and a second one to insert a probe into his brain to monitor the blood pressure and flow to the brain – this because of the swelling on the brain. He has since contracted pneumonia and has infected sinuses. Whilst the current prognosis is not good, there is hope that he will wake up again. The doctors will be removing the probe next week and will try to bring him to consciousness again.
Should you have been through a similar experience or know of anyone else, particularly where there has been a good outcome, we would love to hear from you.
We would also love to share messages of hope and inspiration so please feel free to post yours and to visit the blog for regular updates on his progress.
“Stand on a still night and look up at the sky, the immensity of space, The stars like little windows in the ceiling of eternity and know that whether there be sun or rain, storm or calm, the wings of the great Mind lay over all and, for me, it is enough that I may shelter there.’
The most beautiful people I have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen. – Elisabeth Kubler-Ross
ROGER SAYS HI – photo taken Tuesday 24th May 2011
Seventhrayspiritualcentre's Blog 
Just to let everyone know that Roger and his family have been planning and working towards the Road Accident Fund Claim court case. Roger has had to undergo numerous tests by various doctors etc in support of his claim. We ask that everyone please send love and light – the court case is at the end of March. We wish Roger all the best and pray that he gets a payout worthy of what he has been through and what is still to come. His life has been forever changed and along with that he has had to let go of some of his dreams. But just because of who he is, his new dreams are amazing and we would so love to see him achieve them!
A quick update to let everyone know that Roger’s RAF case is coming up in March this year. He has started a series of tests with various State doctors and doctors of their choice so that an accurate report can be compiled for the hearing.
We’re rooting for you Roger and looking forward to seeing you next week when you come up to Johannesburg for further tests.
The following article appeared in the local newspaper in Nelspruit about a week ago. How awesome is it?!!
NELSPRUIT – Roger Jooste (18) is a walking miracle. He survived a brain injury which is usually fatal and is now writing a book about his journey of recovery since the accident that changed his life forever.
Amazed by just the fact that he was alive, medical experts told his parents that he would be a “vegetable” for the rest of his life. Roger proved them wrong. On March 10 – a year and a day after that fateful Tuesday afternoon – he received a gold medal at the SA Haedong Kumdo (Korean sword fighting) Championships.
There wasn’t a dry eye in the house as Roger performed in front of other enthusiasts. He is living proof of the cliché – where there’s a will, there’s a way.
Roger and a good friend, Duan Wilson, were involved in a horrific car accident on March 9 last year in which Duan died. Roger was rushed to hospital with serious injuries, including a broken jaw and rib. The boys were then working for their matric at Hoërskool Bergvlam.
The seriousness of Roger’s injuries was at first not apparent, but it later emerged that he had sustained six contusions to the brain which would affect his speech and movement. He was in a coma for five weeks in Mediclinic Nelspruit before he was transferred to New Life Kensington Clinic where he underwent rehabilitation for seven weeks.
Although there was nothing wrong with Roger’s cognitive abilities, physically he was left like a baby after the accident. He had to learn to do everything from scratch – walk, talk, eat and go to the bathroom.
“Their only objective at Kensington was to get Roger to sit in a wheelchair,” said his mom, Adele. Roger, being the fighter that he was, walked out of there.
Today, Roger walks and talks slowly, but one has no trouble understanding him. He is improving every day. “I’m me. I’m no different,” he tells Lowvelder at Wolves Academy where he is training in Haedong Kumdo. “People think ‘shame, a brain injury, he’s a vegetable’. I get angry,” he says.
Roger joined Wolves in October last year after his lawyer told Master Awie Davis about him. “My lawyer thought that Awie could help me with my balance and coordination and introduced us to each other,” Roger continued.
“When he started out here, we could only exercise for 10 minutes at a time. Now, Roger completes sessions of 45 minutes,” Awie boasts.
He is currently also undergoing occupational therapy and biokinetics. The contusions have to repair by themselves and Roger’s brain is basically getting rerouted. It may take two to five years before this process is complete.
His father, Eugene, has quit his job to be with him full time. Roger says that sadly he has lost a lot of his friends since the accident. “They said they would be there for me, but they’re gone. Nobody comes over just to say hi.”
Adele thinks it may be because they don’t know how to handle him. “I am me,” he stresses again and adds that it will be the title of the book he’s currently writing on his life, “From Argie (Roger) to Toffy (Duan).”
He cannot remember anything about the accident. In fact, he has no memory of that previous December or ever commencing matric exams. “All I remember is building a chair for an art project.”
Duan was driving his sister’s Ford Fiesta and lost control over it in Graniet Street. The vehicle struck a lamp pole before wrapping around a tree.
Duan was discovered lying on Roger’s lap. Paramedics of ER24 and Netcare 911 rushed to the boys’ aid. With Lowvelder’s arrival at the scene, Roger had been removed from the wreckage and was being treated at the side of the road.
His parents arrived at the scene, but rescue workers wouldn’t let them go near their son. “We were asked if we had medical aid and then instructed to go and open a file for him at hospital. We were told he was not going to make it,” Adele recalled.
Roger was admitted to Mediclinic Nelspruit with a broken jaw and rib. He was in an induced coma for about a week. Doctors lifted the sedation, but Roger wouldn’t wake up.
He underwent another brain scan and doctors discovered the contusions. Roger explains, “My brain had apparently turned 180 degrees inside my skull and back into position.”
It is suspected that the left side of Roger’s head had first hit the lamp pole and then Duan’s head. Duan apparently also sustained a severe head injury which killed him on impact.
Classmates sent photos of themselves to Roger when he was being treated in Kensington. He noticed that Duan was in none of them and he instinctively knew that he hadn’t survived the accident.
Eugene and Adele say it was very hard to see their son in such a helpless state. “I saw myself as I was and realised I had to do everything possible to get better,” Roger adds.
He plans to complete matric next year and wants to be a businessman one day. “I want to open a sweet bar – a concept that is working well in America. Instead of going to a bar to drink, you sit down for anything and everything sweet – from fruit to ice cream,” he explains.
With Roger’s determination, he will be able to conquer the world, let alone see his dreams come true.
So it’s been a while since we last updated anything on this page. Roger continues to do so well and if anyone has visited his facebook page just recently, you will see that he is back in the kitchen and cooking – something that he loves to do. We have no doubt that he will go on to make a brilliant chef. Yesterday was another good day in that Roger was interviewed by the local newspaper – we can’t wait to see the article! Another great milestone is that we’re just waiting for the go-ahead from the department of education and Roger will be back on track finishing off his schooling and writing his matric.
As always, we say well done Roger – we think you’re just awesome!
Last year Roger started studying the art of Soo Bahk Do which is a Korean martial art. On Saturday 10th March, just one year after having his accident, he came up to Johannesburg to participate in a tournament where he won a gold medal for his performance. I was so fortunate to be there to witness this amazing feat!
So once again, it’s well done to Roger for working so hard to get to this point. The crowd went absolutely wild when he had finished because everyone knew where he had come from and could appreciate just how much work it has taken to get to where he is!
9TH MARCH 2012 – WHAT A SIGNIFICANT DAY TODAY …
A year has gone by in a flash and what a year it has been. We as a family have come so far. We all think today about the events that took place on 09 march 2011 as though it was yesterday. Thank you to all who have given their support through the difficult times Roger and the family have gone through,we appreciate it. A big big thank you to Roger for the absolute willpower to survive and recover and the inspiration he gives to his family on a daily basis. The road ahead is still long but now we know we will all get through. Let us not forget Duan he is a part of our lives still and we think of his family and reflect on their year to , a year of healing for them as well. So today whoever reads this stop a moment and and be silent and keep in your thoughts two young men who were friends on earth and brothers in spirit.
Eugene.
Wow, been thinking of you all since early this morning! It has been an incredible year and certainly one where we have all learnt something and grown because of it. So, thank you too from my side, to you Roger, for allowing us all to be part of this journey with you. From very young we always knew that you were special, we just didn’t know how special. If I think back to a year ago and where you were, you have come so incredibly far and overcome so much for a young man your age. Because of your tenacity and enthusiasm, you will continue to grow and continue to get better everyday until you get to that point where you are satisfied that you have done all you could. Let us not forget to say thank you to our Creator for the guidance and the courage that He has given to us all on whatever level we have needed it. Yes, our hearts do go out to Duan’s parents today, for whilst we celebrate, they are in a very different space and one can only imagine how they must be feeling today and in fact every day that he isn’t around them. Time is a great healer and we can say thank you that we are given time and the space to heal and to learn to shift our minds and live with the new circumstances that have been given to us for we know that these are the circumstances that we agreed to in our contract with the Guides and Spirit Helpers before we even came into this existence. May the blessings of the Great White Spirit and the Divine Angelic Beings be with each one of you who have been directly affected by the circumstances of the 9th March 2011. We love you all.
Glynis
This is my sixth time to your website, I love it every time!
So I had a long chat with Eugene on the phone today and he tells me that the bio-keneticist and the occupational therapist did another assessment on Roger this morning. They are now going to be focusing on specific areas, like one at a time, and then work on that area until it is 100% and then move one to the next.
He has made such enormous progress this last year and is almost there, but now there are just these particular points of focus and he should be back to normal within a couple of months, all going well.
It’s almost a year since the accident and we need to really say thank you to everyone who has had a part to play in Roger’s recovery. If we were not blessed to have these people sent into our lives at the right time, things could be very different.
Is there anywhere else I can get information about this? I’m thinking I might write my term paper on it.
Can you believe nearly a year since Roger and Duan’s accident and so much has happened.So many changes have had to be made to cope with loss and just having to get better and back to normal.We will never forget this time of hardship both families have had to go through and just the fear everyday of the unknown.But we have no choice but look to the future and pray everyday will be better than the day before.So here’s to another day and always keeping those close in our thoughts and prayers.
Admiring the time and energy you put into your site and detailed information you offer. It’s great to come across a blog every once in a while that isn’t the same old rehashed information. Fantastic read! I’ve saved your site and I’m including your RSS feeds to my Google account.
The best news yet….
So a good chance Roger may go back to school to do his matric even though it might take him longer than normal. He will start with two subjects at a time. And build on them. We had a meeting with the school, the deputy principal does not see a problem but has to meet with all the teachers to see if they agree because he will obviously have to do it from home and hand his work in on a weekly basis. We waiting for them to now get back to us. Hold thumbs……. Eugene
And send lots of positive energy and prayers 🙂
This is a message posted by Eugene yesterday on Please Pray For My Friend ROGER JOOSTE which is a facebook page that you can also go to to post a message for him.
So Roger is now well and truly on the mend. He has overcome so much over the last ten months but truth be told it has not been an easy journey for him . He had to contend with physically getting his body back to what it was and is almost there .His walking and talking has come so far .He now walks without any form of aid although a little off balance at times and as for speech anybody who is anybody can understand him. In the beginning of this road that took him and our family on a different path he had so much support it was just not funny. He had people from all over coming to the hospital to lend their support it was overwhelming and so heart warming to know he is so loved by his community of friends and we still now appreciate it so much. We understand life goes on and people return to their way of life but for Roger he is still taking time to heal not just physically but emotionally too, and all the friends and support has no ceased and he is now finding it difficult to take in he was always an outgoing type and now not able to function like before is not easy on him. So all we need is for those forgotten friends to sometime drop him a line it won’t take a lot of time from you and will only put a smile on a face of someone that you cared for.
Please pray for my friend Roger Jooste
http://www.facebook.com/groups/209580535725550/371112986238970/
I thought it a good idea to let everyone know that for the last couple of weeks, probably since around Christmas, Roger hasn’t been in a very good space on an emotional level. I would like to treat this with the utmost respect and sensitivity that it deserves. And in a nutshell, most of the people who have kept in touch with him over the last year, have ended their contact with him. He has a few close friends and his family of course, but for the last 10 months he has had to deal with the accident and working on getting himself better. And whilst he’s done a most amazing job, he hasn’t had any time to spend on himself on a persona level and he is now beginning to feel it. The difficulty is that he can’t just go out and enjoy himself with people of his own age the way he used to and we can only begin to imagine how difficult that must be for him to process.
So my request to you today, is to please not forget about him. He’s on facebook a lot so posting messages there for him is definitely one of way of keeping in contact without it taking up too much of anyone’s time.
Roger, Eugene and Adele spent the day with me at my home yesterday. We had such a fabulous day! Most of the day was spent eating, drinking laughing and just having fun. It’s so nice to have Roger back. Whilst he is still slow with walking, he’s doing it on his own. Anyone who has been to my house and testify to how many steps I have and he managed to climb them all with only slight assistance from Eugene. He spent time playing on the XBox with Jared and it’s just so nice to see him laughing and joining in the conversation with everyone.
What a long year it has been and he has come so far, thanks to the support of everyone who has been with him at his side to see this through. Well done Roger!
I’m so excited – Roger and his family are coming to Jo’burg this weekend to visit us! The last time I saw them was October last year, didn’t get to go to them this last December as we normally do.
Will give everyone a good update next week!
Got some good news from Eugene last night – Roger will be doing his first grading for his sword fighting tomorrow. Please send him lots of good positive energy – I will let you all know how it went on Monday.
Isn’t this just testament to how amazing this young man is – he hasn’t let anything get him down and has been working so hard this past year! Well done Roger!!
More good news is that the occupational therapist and the biokineticist have both said that they will continue to treat Roger and they will put in a claim to the road accident fund for their money. Isn’t it amazing that there are such wonderful people out there who care so much about others that they don’t worry about the reward? I think it’s absolutely fantastic and also testament to the fact that if you want something badly enough, your prayers are always heard and they will be answered!
Some good news is that the medical aid has now admitted that they made a mistake and that they will pay for Roger’s treatment until the end of November 2011. Please will you all continue to send out good positive energy to those people who make these kinds of decisions all over the world, so that they may be influenced in a positive way to see the bigger picture and not just focus on what it will cost their organisations.
We continue to pray that the angels will look favourably on Roger’s situation and ensure that the money is provided to continue his treatment until he is once again physically whole.