My Story

My name is Carel from South Africa. In 2014, my life changed forever when a colon abscess burst, leaving me with a severe and complex hernia. For years I lived with the physical and emotional weight of it, unable to afford private surgery.

In January 2024, after a long fight, I finally managed to undergo a hernia repair with surgical mesh. That operation alone cost R160,000, and even then it only covered the procedure itself.

Recently, I noticed a small piece of surgical material starting to protrude through the wound area — a clear sign that the mesh is being rejected and the repair is failing. Because of my complicated medical history, I need to return to Dr. Robbie Viljoen, the specialist who knows my case best and performed the previous surgery.

I cannot wait for the months‑long backlog at Steve Biko Hospital while my condition becomes more unstable. I need to start the process privately before this becomes a serious medical emergency.

Transparency Note: One of the photos in the gallery shows the current condition of the wound and the surgical material that has started to come through. I included it only to show the seriousness of the situation. Please view it only if you are comfortable with medical images.

Before & After: The first photo shows what I was living with before my January 2024 surgery — a massive, life‑altering hernia caused by a burst colon in 2014. I fought for years to raise the R160,000 needed for that repair, believing it would finally give me my life back. But as you can see in the recent photos, the mesh that was supposed to fix everything is now being rejected, and the repair is failing. I’ve come too far, and endured too much, to let this setback take me back to where I started.

Why I Need Help

My goal is R200,000 (about $12,000 USD). This will cover everything required to redo the repair properly:

1. Specialist consultations with Dr. Viljoen
2. All necessary scans and imaging
3. Hospital and theatre fees
4. The surgical mesh
5. Proper aftercare to ensure safe healing and prevent another recurrence

This is not just another operation — it’s the chance to finally close a chapter that has been open for more than a decade.