When Nehanda Magan slipped and fell almost 20 metres while hiking up Myburgh's Ravine in Hout Bay with a group of friends, she was so grateful to her rescuers that she decided to donate fluffy toys to the paramedics, 12 years after the incident.
Nehanda fell down the waterfall, landing on large rocks.
“Unconscious from the fall, I gained consciousness 10 minutes after landing at the bottom and remained conscious until I got to the hospital a few hours later”, Nehanda recalled.
One of her friends raced down the mountain to find cellphone reception to call for emergency assistance while the rest of her friends made sure she was stable until paramedics arrived.
“Eventually paramedics got me onto a stretcher and hoisted me up to the AMS helicopter, piloted by captain Donovan Kohl. This was my first time in a helicopter and despite the circumstances, I was extremely excited for a helicopter ride,” Nehanda said.
Despite the passing of time, the memory of her injuries serves as a reminder of how fragile life is. She recalls the result: two fractured femurs, a fractured lumbar vertebra, a ‘hangman's' (neck) fracture, a jaw broken in two places, four missing front teeth, a fractured ulna (forearm bone), a cut femoral artery bleeding externally, and a little sliced scalp.
She said: “A four-hour emergency surgery, 11 days in ICU, seven weeks on my back in hospital, a few months in a back brace and crutches, multiple dentures, and dental surgeries.
“Eleven years later and I am fully recovered and extremely grateful to the rescue and the work they do when people like me accidentally find themselves in impossible situations.”
Farhaad Haffejee, AMS CEO, thanked Nehanda for her donation.
“Our heartfelt thanks to Nehanda Magan, owner of Nehanda Design and winner of the 2014 Southern Guild Industrial Design Apprenticeship Award, for the donation of soft toys, each beautifully hand-made with love for our precious little patients.
“The toys serve as tangible symbols of support, bringing smiles to the faces of our little patients onboard our aircraft.
“These cuddly companions will offer warmth, reassurance, and companionship when it's needed most.”
“Thank you Nehanda, your donation will undoubtedly brighten the lives of the little ones,” Haffejee added.