GRATEFUL FOR EVERY BREATH

A double lung transplant has given this chef a second chance at life - and he'll never forget the young man who made it possible

- COLIN HENDRICKS PICTURES: ER LOMBARD

AT THE age of 30 he can finally enjoy things other people take for granted – taking a full breath of air, enjoying a cool breeze without worrying about getting sick, being strong enough to put in a full day of work.

It’s strange to get cold and not worry about it, Andries van der Merwe says. “Before the lung transplant I had to put on a jacket immediately to avoid infection and disease. Now it’s nice. I can get cold, I can walk in the rain without it being a big deal.”

Andries was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis when he was three years old and his lung capacity was just 17% when he received a new set of lungs in 2019.

“I’m 100% today,” he says.

His life is full to the brim. He recently started working as a sous chef at Guardian Peak restaurant near Stellenbosch and he’s embracing each new day – but he isn’t only doing so for himself, he says.

He’s also doing it in tribute to Storm Smorenburg, whose lungs he uses to inhale the fresh mountain air each new day.

Storm was 18 when he died in a tragic accident and his lungs were donated to give Andries the gift of life.

Andries’ mother, Anna-Mart, has since become close friends with Storm’s mom, Lisa. Anna-Mart wrote the book Silence Before Storm in 2021 about the two boys and their families’ journey.

As a result of the women’s unbreakable bond Andries has learnt a lot about the teenager.

“Storm rode his skateboard a lot, he was a lifeguard, he played first-team rugby and he liked daredevil-type stuff,” he says.