ZIYAAD

DOUGLAS,

SUPPLIED

A

S HElayundera giant

boulder, its weight

crushinghisrightleg

andthebloodseeping

fromtheshatteredlimb,

onethoughtkeptrun-

ningthroughhismind:

“Ijustwanttolive.I just

wanttolive.”

JethroWatsonfocusedonthosewords

for 12 hours,fromthetimetherock

pinnedhimtothegroundintheclimb-

ers’paradiseoftheCederberginthe

WesternCapeuntilhewaswheeledinto

an operatingtheatreforlife-saving

surgery.

“I knewif I lostconsciousness,it would

betheend,”hesays.

JethrohasbeeninCapeTown’sNetcare

ChristiaanBarnardMemorialHospital

sincehishorrificaccidentlastmonth,

adjustingtohislife-changinginjuries.

Therock-climbingfanatic’srightleg

wassmashedbeyondrepairandsur-

geonshadtoamputateit tosavehislife.

Hisleftlegwasbadlybrokenandit’llbe

weeksbeforehecanleavethehospital.

ButJethro(35)isn’tfeelingsorryfor

himself,nordoeshewanthisstoryto

focusonthetraumaoflosinga limb.

“I’mnotouttoseekpity,”hesays,talk-

ingtoYOUfromhishospitalbedafter

completinghisdaily40-minutephysio-

therapysession.“Yes,whathappenedis

a tragedyforme,butthere’sa lotofgood

that’shappenedaroundit aswell.

“Peoplehavebeenamazingandpulled

outallthestops.Thedoctorsdidincred-

iblethingstohelpmesurviveandhope-

fullygivemea goodqualityoflife.”

Butif there’sonepersonwhodeserves

mostofhispraise,it’sNickMuehlhausen,

JethroWatson
enjoysbouldering,
a typeofclimbing
withoutropesor
harnesses.

Therockclimberbroke

hisleftleganddoctors

hadtoamputatehisright

legaftertheaccident.

Jethrolosta legaftera nastyrock-climbing

accident,buthedoesn’twantotherstofeel

sorryforhim– andhedreams ofclimbing

againoneday BYKIMABRAHAMS

J h l l f kli bi

‘I JUST WANTED

TO LIVE’

16 | 22 AUGUST 2019 you.co.za^