Former athlete recounts harrowing night: " The bullet missed my heart by a millimeter"
Life can be unpredictable, one moment everything is good and in the very next your life can be shattered in an instant.
This was the case for Darren Thomas, a father of two young children and the husband of his lovely wife, Lauren.
Thomas was the picture of health and fitness, a budding rugby player who played for the Lions 7's team, as well as a kickboxer who had aspirations of earning his South African colours in the sport.
This all changed one tragic morning, killing off his dreams and altering his life forever.
Three men entered his parents' property where he was staying and violently attacked him. Darren was stabbed in the head with a screwdriver and shot at point blank range in the chest. Darren was 27 at the time.
Darren's father was the first one at the scene after the vicious attack, finding his son laying on the floor. Darren had been shot in the chest, the bullet missing his heart by just a millimeter.
He was in ICU for six days, the bullet raptured his lung and fragmented his spine, which left him paralysed from the chest down. He was told that he was now a T 5 Paraplegic.
Listen as Darren recounts that tragic incident in his own words in the podcast below:
Darren, who was dating his now wife Lauren, sank into a deep depression. The two were in the early stages of their relationship when the shooting happened. Lauren never left Darren's side and attended every rehab session.
This despite Darren trying his best to push her away.
He at times felt like a burden. It was tough for Darren to see his loved one's cater for his every need for things that he was so used to doing for himself.
After months of rehab and soul searching, Darren found his zest for life again. Darren and Lauren married and were blessed to have two miracle children.
J Sbu, who has been embarking on a healthier lifestyle, was so inspired when he saw a video of Darren on his Facebook profile. In the video, Darren is on the treadmill working up a sweat, except he is on the treadmill using his hands and his upper body strength.
Incredible!
Like many of us, J Sbu sometimes struggles with the motivation and consistency of working out and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Darren's story was a reminder and just the motivation he needed to count his blessings and realise that it is all mind over matter!
