If there’s one person who could have been forgiven for dropping out, it’s Izak Johan Haarhoff. The 28-yearold has battled near insurmountable odds that would’ve broken many people: the deaths of loved ones, crippling depression, paralysis and cancer.
But Izak didn’t give up – and he was rewarded for his tenacity and courage when he went on stage recently to be capped at his university graduation.
“It was an amazing experience,” Izak tells YOU. “It was great to have my parents there and to stand on stage and get an ovation was really nice. Knowing that everything had led to this conclusion left me in tears.”
Izak will always be grateful to his alma mater, Water Sisulu University (WSU) in Mthatha, Eastern Cape, for the support he received during his years at the institution. “WSU made me the person and the doctor I am today,” he says.
IZAK grew up in Warrenton near Kimberley in the Northern Cape with his parents, Anne-Marie and Kobus, and brothers, Theo (27) and Kobus Jnr (22). His dad is a GP and inspired Izak to follow in his footsteps.
“In the December holidays after Grade 11, I landed a position job-shadowing in the orthopedics department at the Kimberley Hospital Complex. I spent 150 hours gaining valuable insight into the life of a doctor,” he recalls.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der 9 December 2021-Ausgabe von YOU South Africa.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent ? Anmelden
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der 9 December 2021-Ausgabe von YOU South Africa.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
PUSHED TO THE LIMIT
The unusual relationship between an heiress and her husband has taken a sinister twist
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
THE GROWN-UP BRAIN
If you think your brain deteriorates as you age, think again!
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
WE'RE IN THIS TOGETHER
It hasn't been an easy road but now this bodybuilding couple are making waves in the industry
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
'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
SUNK IN 16 MINUTES!
A sun-drenched holiday turned into a living nightmare for those aboard this luxury vessel
READY TO SMILE AGAIN
A groundbreaking surgical procedure will restore this Limpopo teen's badly damaged jaw and teeth
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