Ronnie's Remarkable Story

Ronnie Basaijja is a remarkable young man from Uganda who has been studying videography at YWAM Media Village Africa in Cape Town for some time. He was visiting our family in Bethlehem and we were about to leave to attend the Photo and Film Expo on Friday the 1st November 2013 when Ronnie was found semi-comatose in his room. After an ambulance arrived in quick time and an emergency CT scan was performed on Ronnie who was now being ventilated, we were shocked to see what was a large mass in his brain.

Ronnie in the ambulance and the large tumour present

Ronnie was transferred to the Universitas hospital in Bloemfontein and within a week surgery was performed and ninety percent of the tumour was removed. He received excellent medical care and the tumour turned out to be a pilocytic astrocytoma which does not require chemo/radiotherapy. Ronnie made a full recovery and was amazed at how much better he could read than before the operation.

Ronnie after surgery showing most of it removed

He was discharged within three weeks and whilst back in Bethlehem some shots of Ronnie just reveal how full of Life he is. He returned back to YWAM media village in Cape Town and while travelling on the train with some friends they were robbed of their wallets and cellphones. During the robbery he was attacked with a knife and as he lunged backwards he was flung out of the broken window of the travelling train. His friends thought him dead yet after the train stopped 2 miles later they ran to find him alive next to the tracks.

Ronnie was taken to hospital and due to sustaining a head injury, he was scanned again but other than the residual tumour all was fine. He needed surgery for a dislocated elbow and some suturing of lacerations. Ronnie's response after another close shave with death was "Not why God, but what God, what do you want me to do?"