Help needed for a paralysed player please

I wouldn't normally post something on here that isn't a video clip, but this is an exception. On the 5th of May this year, young Kobus Engelbrecht broke his neck (C5&6 vertebra's) in a school rugby match.

The school is across the road from where I (edit: used to) live, so it gave me chills when I first heard about it. The international rugby player Thinus Delport actually attended the same school a few years back.

Kobus is currently totally paralysed from the neck down. On Tuesday the 8th of May he went into surgery to repair the vertebra fracture, the operation was successful in term of the goals that the doctors had. He is currently in a stable condition in the trauma ICU unit of the Milpark hospital in Johannesburg.

His recovery process will be a lengthy and costly one. A trust account has been opened with the help of Hoffmeyr attorneys and is currently under their management. An sms line for donations has been established and we ask your help in this regard. The sms line and trust account is to assist Kobus and his family with the enormous financial obligation of his recovery.

The family is begging for assistance. We would greatly appreciate if you can help.

The sms line functions as follows: You sms Kobus to 39979 if you're in South Africa, and 002739979 if you're elsewhere.

SMS costs R15 (south african Rands, approximately 1.5 EUR) and the amount is paid over to the trust fund.

Trust account detail:
Acc name: Hofmeyr Att.
Ref: Kobus Engelbrecht trust 01882869
Bank: Absa
Branch code: 331155
Acc nr: 01050451484

Rugbydump.com has already donated and we thought we'd just put this story out there in faith and hope that rugby fans from all over come together to help out this young man who's life will surely never be the same again.

thanks for your time
Grant

UPDATE JUNE 2008:
Kobus is in recovery, and doing the best he can, but messages of support are always much appreciated, so thanks to those who have already commented.

The trust fund is no longer in existence from what I understand, but will get an update about that for you asap.

UPDATE MAY 2011:
It's with great shock and sadness that we can now report that Kobus, and his mother, were very tragically murdered in their home by a family member. May they Rest in Peace.

Posted at 2:33 pm | 97 comments

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