Vierde been kry Hoppie op sy voete

Tanja Bause
Des Erasmus - Dit gaan nog hinkepink, maar ná 26 jaar is Herbert (“Hoppie”) Schmidlin (45) van Swakopmund weer stewig met albei sy voete op die aarde. Sy trots is ‘n vierde linkerbeen wat hy pas ontvang het en waarmee die gewilde hengelaar, verkoopsman en vrywilliger vir ‘n beveiligingsdiens nou ‘n nuwe toekoms tegemoet kan stap.

Die krukke waarop hy ook ‘n bekende deelnemer aan georganiseerde hengelkompetisies langs die sentrale kus is, sal steeds daar wees om ‘n bystandsdiens te lewer. “’n Tyd van aanpassing lê vir my voor. Ek moet leer om van die heup af te loop. Op die krukke was dit lang treë. Nou moet dit kortetjies wees. Maar ek gaan deurdruk,” het Hoppie aan Republikein gesê.

Die aanslag om weer op sy voete te kom, is die pa van twee meisietjies se vierde poging sedert alles op 19 Oktober 1991 vir die sterk jong man verander het.

As 19-jarige vakleerling was hy aan diens en tussen Okahandja en Otjiwarongo op pad toe hul motor met drie insittendes teen ‘n stilstaande vragwa gebots het.

‘n Meisie het ontkom, maar die ander jong man was dood.

Hoppie het veelvuldige beserings opgedoen, waarvan die ergste die vele breuke van sy linkerbeen was. Ná 19 dae in die hospitaal is op die amputasie van die been hoog op teen sy heup besluit.

Vroeg in 1992 het hy sy eerste kunsbeen gekry. Volgens hom was dit maar ‘n gesukkel, omdat die amputasie so hoog op was.

“Ek het nooit heeltemal oor die weg gekom nie. Op die krukke het ek wel goed gevorder.”

Hy sê tegnieke verbeter en ‘n mens se liggaamsbou verander met die jare. Daarom was ‘n volgende been verlede jaar ‘n opsie. Vir mate van die nuwe hulpmiddel is die eerste kunsbeen saamgestuur na die kundige wat die tweede been sou bou. Nuwe mate is ook van hom geneem. Eerste betalings was blykbaar deur ongelukversekering vir werkers (workmen's compensation) gedoen, maar toe raak die beenbouer met sy vorige kunsbeen en al weg. ‘n Ander vakman het toe die opdrag gekry en daar moes weer van voor af begin word met die meet en pas. Die probleem het gebly dat hy feitlik net heupaksie vir sy linkerbeen gehad het. Nuwe tegnieke is gebruik en vir gebruik van die nuwe been is ‘n gordel om sy onderlyf ontwerp.

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Republikein 2024-04-18

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