Durban — A gravely ill, up-country youngster was thrilled beyond words when he got the chance to live out his dream in Durban on Thursday.
Young Blakye Fourie, 9, is recovering from a kidney transplant, but he got to meet and spend time with his hero and arguably the Sharks’ most recognisable face – the towering double World Cup-winning Springbok lock Eben Etzebeth.
Paul Fourie of Roodepoort said that his son had to have a kidney transplant after fighting a losing battle with end-stage kidney failure.
Fourie said his son had been diagnosed on the week of his fifth birthday.
“Initially, he was misdiagnosed with dehydration, but after more checks, we found that he had chronic kidney disease – and it was at stage 4.”
He said that when Blayke should have been growing, he was losing weight. He began dialysis in 2023 and the search for a transplant began.
Fourie said for health and safety reasons Blayke was limited to playing non-contact sports like golf as opposed to sports like rugby and football.
“He comes from a humble background and has faced tough times with a smile,” his proud dad said.
“This tenacious and spirited young boy dreams of becoming a ‘children’s doctor’ (paediatrician) in the hope of helping other children facing difficult illnesses,” said Fourie.
His son’s great adventure he said began with an early start to catch the red-eye flight to Durban.
Having arrived here, Blayke’s morning in the city began with breakfast followed by boundless excitement as he received a personal tour of the Hollywoodbets Kings Park Stadium.
Blayke then got to do something that countless youngsters around the country can only dream of – he met and watched some of his Springbok heroes, while the official Sharks URC team trained for Saturday’s big match against Benetton at Hollywoodbets Kings Park Stadium.
“But little did Blayke know, he was in for another surprise: a one-on-one lunch date with his idol Eben Etzebeth in uMhlanga.
“Blayke embodies all the qualities he looks up to in his hero Etzebeth – strength, courage and a never-give-up attitude,” said his chuffed father.
For Blayke, whose day-to-day reality has been challenged with illness, meeting a towering figure both on and off the field was a dream that had seemed beyond reach. It wasn’t though and was made possible by The Reach For A Dream Foundation.
Blayke told the Daily News that his love for rugby began at the age of three when his dad began teaching him how to play the sport in the garden.
The oldest of three children, Blayke’s brother is five and his sister is four.
Etzebeth – a man known as being one of the toughest in world rugby – said it had been very special to meet Blayke.
“It is special to have these young people look up to you and it serves as great motivation to have them look up to us.”
“This handover was made possible by Wimpy in partnership with Reach for a Dream as part of their Slipper Day initiative.
“We want to try to get people to donate to Slipper Day so that we can make more dreams come true,” Etzebeth said.
Etzebeth has 119 caps since first donning the green and gold in 2012. He played for Western Province and Stormers before a three-year stint (2019-2022) with a top French side, Rugby Club Toulonnais.
Since 2022, he has been a Sharks player. Etzebeth is the current South African Sportsman of the Year.
The realisation of Blayke’s dream highlights the transformative impact of initiatives like Slipper Day, which aims to bring moments of joy, respite and hope to children battling critical diseases and life-threatening illnesses.
Since its inception in 1988, Reach For A Dream has turned at least 27670 dreams into reality, offering children, like Blayke, a temporary escape from the enormous challenges they have to face.
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Daily News