LEON'S ORDEAL IS NO JOKE

Pain has dominated entertainer Leon Schuster's life after a serious back injury landed him in bed. But despite being depressed he remains hopeful he will recover so he can get back to work

- NADINE RAMONGANE

HE’S the guy who’s had South Africans in stitches over the decades, sending people up and ripping everyone off in a series of noholds-barred movies.

But the Leon Schuster of today isn’t finding anything to laugh about. He’s spending his days in bed, swathed in layers of blankets.

Deep furrows are carved into his face and as he tries to sit up he clenches his jaw and lets out a groan. He’s in agony, the 72-year-old veteran entertainer says. “I’ve been through a rough patch, man, through absolute hell,” he tells YOU.

“I’m a bit depressed. This thing has been going on too long – it’s almost 10 months since my first back surgery.”

His ordeal began last August when he went under the knife after injuring himself on the set of one of his movies.

He’d been recovering well until he had a fall that required a second surgery and more recovery. Then complications arose and he’s been confined to bed for weeks ever since.

Leon is scheduled to have another operation – which he hopes will fix things once and for all – but first he has to shed 15kg to make sure he’s in the best shape possible to avoid complications.

Despite his physical problems his spirit remains unbroken. Leon, who relies on a walking stick when he needs to get up, is determined to recover and get to doing what he loves most: making films.

“I’m not in a good place, I’ll be honest with you,” he says. “But I’m in a grateful place. And that’s why I try to lie here in a straight position and keep my spirits up with a bit of light-heartedness.

“I trust in the Lord and the doctors – these are my two sources of strength from which I draw my hope.”