A Cape Town DJ is calling for donations to get his family back to Cape Town following his wife’s hospitalisation in Dubai.
Luwayne Bouwers, known as LuWayne Wonder and a regular host on Good Hope FM, is calling for assistance after his wife Crystal suffered brain damage after a haemorrhage. Bouwers made his appeal in a video posted on Facebook on Thursday.
“I’m reaching out to you because my family and I desperately need your help,” he said.
On October 5, two weeks after the couple welcomed their third daughter, Crystal suffered a ruptured artery in her brain. They have two other daughters aged 7 and 3.
“I’m begging for help,” Bouwers said in the video. “I need to send Crystal home as soon as possible because she needs rehabilitation. She’s paralysed on her right side, she can’t speak. The times that I visit her, she only has one eye open. I know she can see me because she lifts up her left hand and acknowledges me.”
They’ve lived in Dubai since December 2015. Since most of the world entered lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic, he has been streaming sessions on social media, staying at home to look after the children and Crystal worked as manager at a marketing agency.
“We have medical insurance while in Dubai which has covered all costs relating to Crystal’s in-hospital care,” Bouwers said. “We have been assisted with practical day-to-day things by a few friends we have in Dubai.”
Now it’s a fight to get back to family and friends in South Africa. Bouwers needs R500 000 to cover transport expenses, including nine plane seats to accommodate Crystal on a stretcher, specialised equipment, and rental of a medical holding area at Dubai International Airport.
GOOD Hope FM DJ Luwayne ‘Wonder’ Bouwers has pleaded for donations to get his hospitalised wife Crystal back to South Africa from Dubai. |
“I have been given some guidance to make contact with the SA Embassy in Dubai, as well as Gift of the Givers, so am in the process of doing this,” Bouwers said. “We are also liaising with medical professionals in Cape Town to formulate necessary plans to safely transport her home, and for her care and treatment thereafter. These details are being worked through and finalised.”
Fans and supporters rallied to help Bouwers and his family in their hour of need.
To raise funding, a campaign called Bring the Bouwers Home was launched. The campaign includes a BackaBuddy donations portal, and a virtual concert hosted by fellow DJ Roger the Dodger at Studio 6 in Ottery. The concert will include appearances by top DJs such as DJ Ready D, Garth B, Dr Jules and Jason Spikes. The concert will take place on November 22 at 2pm.
As of Saturday afternoon, sales to the concert had accumulated more than R155 000.
“I am overwhelmed by the prayers, messages and phone calls of support, and acts of kindness,” Bouwers said. “It’s tough to ask for help, but sometimes you have to graciously accept and just say thank you.”
Weekend Argus