Our Darling Demi
YOU South Africa|14 December 2017

Proud dad and stepmom of the new Miss Universe share family pics and memories.

Shanaaz Prince
Our Darling Demi

IT’S the first thing that catches your eye as you walk into the lounge of the Peters’ home in Potchefstroom: a huge framed black-and-white picture of Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters taken when she was 13. With her long brown hair blowing in the wind and a big smile on her face, she looks radiant – hardly surprising that just nine years later she was crowned the most beautiful woman in the universe.

These days her father, Bennie Peters, and stepmother, Elzabé, have to draw comfort from this photo and others because they don’t know when they’ll see her again. Straight after her Miss Universe victory Demi (22) was whisked away to New York, her home for the duration of her reign. But as she embarks on her exciting new journey her loved ones will never be far from her thoughts, she promises.

There’ll be one family member in particular she’ll miss desperately: her little sister, Franje. Born with the rare condition subtotal cerebellar agenesis, Franje (11) doesn’t have a cerebellum, the vital part of the brain at the back of the head that connects to the spinal cord. She has the mental capacity of a three-month-old baby, can’t walk, talk or eat and is fed through a feeding tube.

The pregnancy had been completely normal so the Peterses were devastated when Franje was diagnosed with the condition at four months old. Elzabé (43) can still vividly recall the day they heard the news. “I can still remember us driving in the car and her [Demi] saying, ‘I don’t understand why these things happen, but I’ll just love her,’” Elzabé says.

She believes it made Demi, then 11, more determined to live life to the fullest.

Esta historia es de la edición 14 December 2017 de YOU South Africa.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

Esta historia es de la edición 14 December 2017 de YOU South Africa.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

MÁS HISTORIAS DE YOU SOUTH AFRICAVer todo
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 minutos  |
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+ minutos  |
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 minutos  |
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 minutos  |
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 minutos  |
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 minutos  |
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 minutos  |
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 minutos  |
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 minutos  |
5 September 2024