LUCKY TO BE ALIVE
YOU South Africa|12 October 2023
A teen making a TikTok video has miraculously survived being shot in the head when she was caught in the crossfire of warring gangs
KESHIA AFRICA
LUCKY TO BE ALIVE

HER mother had warned her to spend as little time as possible outdoors. Over the past few months there’d been a spate of shootings in the area and her mom had sleepless nights worrying about her kids’ safety. However, like most teenagers Tania

Booysens* couldn’t resist making TikTok videos so she and a friend went to film some footage outside a neighbour’s house.

But what started as innocent fun turned into a nightmare when Tania was shot in the head by a stray bullet as rival gangs clashed in Beacon Valley in Mitchell’s Plain, Cape Town.

Initially things looked dire – Tania temporarily lost her eyesight and doctors told the family to expect the worst. But the girl, who recently turned 14, is now being described as a walking miracle.

Three days after surgery to remove the bullet lodged in the back of her head, she was discharged from hospital and is now recovering at home.

Tania knows how lucky she is. “You’re constantly hearing about how people die after being shot, especially after being hit in the head. It’s scary,” she tells YOU, sitting next to her mom, Zelda*, on the couch of the family home.

“I feel grateful to be alive.” For the first two weeks after her operation she was in a lot of pain but things are much better now, Tania says. “Today was the first day I didn’t need to take pain medicine because it wasn’t as bad.”

Her daughter is getting stronger every day, Zelda says. “Even the specialists have been amazed at her recovery. It isn’t often someone who is shot in the head walks away with only a hole to show for it.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة 12 October 2023 من YOU South Africa.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة 12 October 2023 من YOU South Africa.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

المزيد من القصص من YOU SOUTH AFRICA مشاهدة الكل
PUSHED TO THE LIMIT
YOU South Africa

PUSHED TO THE LIMIT

The unusual relationship between an heiress and her husband has taken a sinister twist

time-read
5 mins  |
5 September 2024
HOW TO MAKE A SUPERBABY
YOU South Africa

HOW TO MAKE A SUPERBABY

Noor Siddiqui says her company can test embryos for hundreds of conditions from diabetes to Alzheimer's. Critics call it social engineering but she insists she's just giving prospective parents the means to avoid a lot of future heartache

time-read
10+ mins  |
5 September 2024
THE GROWN-UP BRAIN
YOU South Africa

THE GROWN-UP BRAIN

If you think your brain deteriorates as you age, think again!

time-read
3 mins  |
5 September 2024
THE eyes HAVE IT
YOU South Africa

THE eyes HAVE IT

They're the windows to our soul - and the first place to show the stresses of everyday life. Juliette Winter reveals expert tips to de-puff, brighten and smooth this delicate area

time-read
1 min  |
5 September 2024
WE'RE IN THIS TOGETHER
YOU South Africa

WE'RE IN THIS TOGETHER

It hasn't been an easy road but now this bodybuilding couple are making waves in the industry

time-read
4 mins  |
5 September 2024
I CAN'T WAIT FOR SUMMER!
YOU South Africa

I CAN'T WAIT FOR SUMMER!

Annetjie's about to get effective treatment for the skin condition that has blighted her life and she's looking forward to hitting the shops and facing the world

time-read
5 mins  |
5 September 2024
'SHE NO THREAT TO ANYONE'
YOU South Africa

'SHE NO THREAT TO ANYONE'

When SA boxer Chris van Heerden's Russian girlfriend went to visit her parents she was thrown in jail and accused of treasonnow he's in a fight to free her

time-read
5 mins  |
5 September 2024
SUNK IN 16 MINUTES!
YOU South Africa

SUNK IN 16 MINUTES!

A sun-drenched holiday turned into a living nightmare for those aboard this luxury vessel

time-read
5 mins  |
5 September 2024
READY TO SMILE AGAIN
YOU South Africa

READY TO SMILE AGAIN

A groundbreaking surgical procedure will restore this Limpopo teen's badly damaged jaw and teeth

time-read
5 mins  |
5 September 2024
HARRY AT A CROSSROADS
YOU South Africa

HARRY AT A CROSSROADS

As the prince turns 40, royal experts paint a picture of a troubled soul- isolated, homesick and struggling to find a purpose in life

time-read
8 mins  |
5 September 2024