Local rugby legend Derick Hougaard has had an incredibly difficult year battling respiratory pneumonia at the Steve Biko Academic Hospital in Pretoria.
The 40-year-old found himself in a coma for 13 days after he was discovered unconscious at his home.
As he embarks on a journey to recovery, the former Bulls playmaker took part in a radio interview on Jacaranda FM’s popular show The Drive with Rob and Roz.
It was Hougaard’s first radio interview since his ordeal.
Spearheaded by presenters Rozanne McKenzie and Rob Forbes, Hougaard did not hold back, revealing why he was joined in studio by the station’s former Drive presenter Rian van Heerden.
“I look a lot better than I feel,” Hougaard admitted.
“I still feel a little weak and I am always out of breath. The tube from the ventilator left a bit of damage, but all in all, I am feeling good.”
The first nine days of his coma remain a blur to him, an unsettling fact heightened by the realisation that doctors estimate only a 50% survival rate for such cases.
“Over the past two weeks, it has really hit me that I could have died, so I am processing that,” he said.
“I think it was definitely a lot worse for other people than what it was for me. It’s terrifying thinking how this affected my family, my parents, my kids and Nádine.”
Hougaard expressed his gratitude to fans who stood by him through the trying times.
“To everyone wherever you are, thank you for your prayers. The doctors call my recovery a miracle, but I believe it’s the power of those prayers,” he said.
“Thank you for standing by me from my first day at Loftus to now. Thank you for showing your care and support, I truly appreciate it.”
Follow @SundayWorldZA on Twitter and @sundayworldza on Instagram, or like our Facebook Page, Sunday World, by clicking here for the latest breaking news in South Africa.
