SHARKBOY IS A FIGHTER
YOU South Africa|7 October 2021
The family of Paralympian Achmat Hassiem have faith that he will come round from his coma
ROBYN LUCAS
SHARKBOY IS A FIGHTER

HE WAS looking forward to the surgery – in fact, he was quite excited about it. It would mean he’d be free of the backache that had been plaguing him and he’d be able to go hiking with friends, gymming with his brother and gaming with his girlfriend and prepare for the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games.

But things didn’t go as planned for Achmat Hassiem from Strandfontein, Cape Town. Complications from the procedure left the 39-year-old in a coma for weeks and at the time of going to print his family were still waiting for him to wake up.

“I just want to help him,” says his mom, Tho raiyah Hassiem (60). “But there’s nothing we can do – this is our life now. We sit at the hospital the whole day and then come home.”

Achmat made headlines in 2006 when he lost his lower right leg during a great white shark attack at Muizenberg beach while trying to save his young brother, Taariq – a heroic deed that earned him the nickname Sharkboy.

He made a great recovery and started swimming competitively, winning a bronze medal in the 100m butterfly at the 2012 Paralympic Games in London.

Taariq (32) hopes his brother’s fighting spirit will get him through this latest crisis.

“Doctors are quite happy with the way Achmat’s fighting. They can see that he’s a trooper and a warrior,” he says.

“He could wake up tomorrow, he could wake up in a week, it could be a few weeks, a few months – it’s a waiting game.”

Denne historien er fra 7 October 2021-utgaven av YOU South Africa.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra 7 October 2021-utgaven av YOU South Africa.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA YOU SOUTH AFRICASe alt
BALLON IN THE BAG
YOU South Africa

BALLON IN THE BAG

Manchester City midfielder Rodrigo Hernandez Cascante says his Ballon d'Or win is a victory for Spanish football

time-read
4 mins  |
14 November 2024
IT WAS ALL A LIE
YOU South Africa

IT WAS ALL A LIE

A new doccie exposes the Grey's Anatomy writer who fabricated her life story

time-read
5 mins  |
14 November 2024
'I WILL NEVER GIVE UP'
YOU South Africa

'I WILL NEVER GIVE UP'

After her husband, anticorruption activist Alexei Navalny, was poisoned and murdered by the Kremlin, she became the public face of Russia's opposition. In this candid interview Yulia Navalnaya opens up about life on the run, her perilous family life and why she's continuing her husband's fight to save their country

time-read
10+ mins  |
14 November 2024
AGREE TO DISAGREE
YOU South Africa

AGREE TO DISAGREE

Trevor Noah on how his childhood squabbles with his mother inspired his delightful new book

time-read
4 mins  |
14 November 2024
PAUSE THE CLOCK
YOU South Africa

PAUSE THE CLOCK

Researchers have discovered that the ageing process spikes at 44 and 60. Here's what you can do to slow it down

time-read
5 mins  |
14 November 2024
MPOOMY ON TOP
YOU South Africa

MPOOMY ON TOP

We chat to SA's most popular female podcaster about love, loss and her booming success

time-read
4 mins  |
14 November 2024
MY BROTHER IS NOT TO BLAME
YOU South Africa

MY BROTHER IS NOT TO BLAME

Tinus Drotské says his sibling, ex Bok Nǎka, is the victim in the brawl with a neighbour that landed up in court

time-read
4 mins  |
14 November 2024
MATT THE RECLUSE
YOU South Africa

MATT THE RECLUSE

A year after his friend's tragic death, the actor continues to shun the spotlight

time-read
4 mins  |
14 November 2024
A LEAP OF FAITH
YOU South Africa

A LEAP OF FAITH

After her husband tried to kill her by tampering with her parachute she thought she'd never trust a man again-but now she's found love

time-read
5 mins  |
14 November 2024
THEY'RE MY KIDS!
YOU South Africa

THEY'RE MY KIDS!

This West Coast woman treats her monkeys as iftheyre humans and animal activists are not happy about it

time-read
4 mins  |
14 November 2024