Former Springbok scrumhalf Joost van der Westhuizen, 40, has said he may be confined to a wheelchair within six months.
He was diagnosed with a fatal motor neuron disease a year ago and given a life expectancy of two to five years.
This week he told of how he was “tormented” by thoughts of never seeing his daughter Kylie, 5, dance or son Jordan, 7, play rugby one day – and that “I would not be there for them”.
“At times it has been emotionally terrible for me.”
He said the disease, which is incurable, had been hard on his parents, “especially my dad”.
“I had to drag myself out of it. Was I going to lie around at home and deteriorate quickly, or was I going to be as busy as possible and surround myself with positive people?
“I was diagnosed with amyo-trophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) a year and one month ago and was told then that I could expect two years of quality life before the bad stuff sets in. Your body just gets weaker, but your mind stays 100%,” he said.
The rugby great said there could be a link to his condition and the fertilisers and paint used on rugby fields.
When US specialist Dr Eric Pioro was treating Van der Westhuizen at his clinic in Cleveland, the doctor had asked whether the rugby player had ever been exposed to fertilisers.
Van der Westhuizen said: “I remembered having spent some time on farms as a child, but then it struck me: from the age of five I have been playing rugby and what did I do? I passed the ball. And what did I do before feeding a scrum or passing? I licked my fingers.
“Dr Pioro told me there’s a soccer team in Italy in which six out of 11 players contracted ALS. They’re focusing on fertiliser on sports fields being a contributor to coming down with ALS, as there is also an unusually high incidence of it among American farmers.”
He said, however, that the link to fertilisers “is as yet unproven”.
The Springbok legend was honoured at a banquet at Emperors Palace, Johannesburg, on Tuesday at a function attended by 1200 guests – including former Springbok captains and many of his teammates, such as those in the squad which won the 1995 Rugby World Cup.
“The amazing brotherhood of rugby was a great help to me,” Van der Westhuizen said. “Andre Venter [the Springbok flank confined to a wheelchair after contracting transverse myelitis, a disease of the spinal cord] contacted me and just said: ‘Buddy, together we’ll get through this,’ and I’ve received letters of support from all over the world.
“I’m lucky I can still walk. My speech is affected. Both my arms are weak and my right leg causes me to limp,” he said, slurring his words slightly.
“However, I’m lucky in that I can still look after myself although everything I do takes twice as long.”
Van der Westhuizen said he had asked: “‘Why me?’ And the answer came, ‘Why not me?’ … it registered with me that if this is the cross I have to bear to help future generations then I’ll do it.
“I was a person who got away with a lot of things, I was arrogant and I can see that it was wrong,” he said of the “sex, drugs and video tape” revelations that destroyed his marriage to singer Amore Vittone.
Despite apologising, the media continued to hound him: I sometimes felt South Africans only forgive people once they’ve gone to the grave …” However, he was now in “a good place”.
It was with excruciating pathos that Van der Westhuizen’s two keenest opponents, George Gregan and Justin Marshall, three of his coaches and many of his Springbok teammates attended a function in his honour this week.
We were told it was to celebrate his life but the terrible reality was that we were there to do the opposite, and the welling of tears was never far away as Van der Westhuizen, with typical determination, faced up to what he calls “this new game I have to play”.
He took on his mea culpa with good humour but could not disguise the slur in his voice, the limp and his weakening arms as, with a poignant reversal of roles, he went on stage before a massive dinner audience of 1200 to take verbal passes from Stransky.
Joost is suffering from what is called Lou Gehrig’s disease after the New York Yankees baseballer who succumbed to its ravages 70 years ago. Sadly, the prognosis today is as grim as it was then – rapidly increasing paralysis, difficulty in swallowing and speaking, and a life expectancy of less than five years, although there will be no impairment of mental functions.
The cause of ALS remains unknown but it is cruel – the motor function of the central nervous system is destroyed but the mind remains fully aware to the end.
Sometimes life is just not fair and Joost’s response is the only one he knows: “I’ll fight it.” One can but repeat sports minister Fikile Mbalula’s words of encouragement: “we wish you strength, brother.”
Like I sais on a thread yesterday, a true legend
sais = said
It was with Shock that I saw how quickly he was deteriating. A few months ago he was still speaking with no problem. It is all so very sad.
I wonder if his dear sainted ex-wife also pulled the stunt at this charity function which she did at the charity function at Langenhoven Highschool. A lot of Joost’s memorabilia was auctioned off, Joost and his family were there as well as over 800 guests. she had her lawyers deliver an injunction that 50 Percent of everything sold must go to her!!!
#4
deteriating = deteriorating!!!
seemed to miss a few letters there hehehe
4@ Tripples:Thats truly awful, I didn’t know that
@ Just For Kicks:
A woman scorned?
There’s a famous saying in there somewhere (I think).
Have to agree with you though. Quite shocking.
Whilst Joost may not have been an angel, “there but for the grace of God go I”.
Did not see the tribute to Joost… not good to hear he’s rapidly getting worse.
Life has the habit of throwing some nasty curve balls in the oddest of directions.
Hope they find a way to arrest the effects and find a cure, in time for Joost… and those unknown hero’s we do not even know who has this affliction or similar afflictions like that of Andre Venter.
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