A month ago, Cape Town DJ Luwayne Wonder appealed for help to raise R500 000 to transport his sick wife back home from Dubai.
Luwayne, whose real name is Luwayne Bouwers, made a Facebook plea on 5 October, two weeks after the couple welcomed their third daughter.
His wife Crystal, 37, had suffered a ruptured artery in her brain and went into a coma.
This left her paralysed on her right side and Luwayne, 36, said she needed to be airlifted home to a local hospital.
The couple, who lived in Plumstead, moved to the United Arab Emirates five years ago to explore new career opportunities.
But thanks to various fundraising initiatives and a BackaBuddy campaign, they’ve reached their goal.
His fellow DJs – including Ready D, Tyrone Paulsen and Dr Jules – also hosted #BringTheBouwersBack, an eight-hour live-stream event to raise funds on 22 November.
Luwayne thanked all who contributed for the overwhelming response.
He wrote on Facebook: “Almost two months ago, I made the difficult decision to share my family’s story with you and publicly ask for help. I can honestly say that the response has been overwhelming.
“Words cannot adequately convey how grateful I am that so many people from across Cape Town, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, USA, Canada, UK, Australia and many corners of the world, have shown support in various ways.
“I want to thank each and every person for your kind words, actions and prayers.
“None of this would have been possible without your contributions.
“I also have to say a special word of thanks to the DJ community and all the media who have been supportive and helped us promote the events and initiatives.
Good evening everyone. 01.12.2020 Almost two months ago, I made the difficult decision to share my family’s story with...
Posted by LuWayne Wonder onTuesday, December 1, 2020
Luwayne says there is still a lot of preparation work to do before their trip home.
He is currently awaiting feedback from the medical team in Dubai as to when they will allow Crystal to travel.
“Once I get this information, I can confirm travel arrangements and finalise arrangements with the medical facility that will receive my wife on arrival back in Cape Town,” he says.
“I am also liaising with the SA Embassy in Dubai to ensure that all our documents are in order and I will have to pack up our home in Dubai.
“In an ideal scenario, we will all travel home on the same flight, but we are still waiting for confirmation that this will be possible due to limited numbers on flights.”
venecia.america@inl.co.za