Actress Jawaahier Petersen is the official ambassador for the Red Cross Children’s Hospital and shared why she is so passionate about the world renowned facility.
The mom of two and her younger sister Ayesha were involved in a horrific car accident 24 years ago, leaving them with broken bones and Jawaahier learnt to speak Xhosa!
Jawaahier plays the role of chef-in-training Kaashifa Mansour in the soapie Suidooster.
She is the daughter of the late music legend Taliep Petersen and singer Madeegha Anders.
Jawaahier, 34, says she owes her life to the Red Cross.
“It was 12 August 1997, roughly around 6.30pm that I was involved in a major motor vehicle accident,” she tells the Daily Voice.
“They rushed me to the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital where we were told that an emergency operation could not yet be performed as I had eaten shortly before.
“This would cause complications with the anaesthesia, and if they gave me anaesthetic, I would choke and probably die.
“I broke my right femur, my pelvis, two ribs, had one punched lung, fractured my right elbow, scarred my face and scalp and lost feeling in two of my toes in my right foot.
“It took me six months to learn to walk again.”
She adds: “In my moments of consciousness, I remember nursing staff providing emotional support to my parents who were praying nervous wrecks, holding my hand as a catheter and drip were inserted and with tangible empathy and care, convinced me that all will be OK.
“I woke up the next morning in the ICU to find one of the nurses gently removing shards of glass from my scalp.
“Ayesha was eight at the time and she flew through the windscreen and broke her arm and had a cut close to her eye, but she was discharged once her arm was in a plaster.
“I was also treated at Maitland Cottage Children's Home where the orthopaedic rehab unit was. I was the only English-speaking coloured child there so I had no choice but to learn and speak Xhosa.
"So when I got to high school and university, I learned it there with more grammatical structure. (But) I won't have the confidence to say let's have a conversation in Xhosa now.”
Jawaahier says she is grateful to be able to give back.
“Red Cross is trying to raise money to upgrade their emergency unit where I first entered on the brink of death, and so I’m eternally grateful to them and that is why I back them 100%.”
venecia.america@inl.co.za