Chris Labuschagné’s journey is a testament that one should never give up on life and love
As a Grade 11 learner and lock at Postmasburg High School, Chris Labuschagné was left a quadriplegic after breaking his neck during a second-team training session in 1988. Chris recalls: “I caught the ball in the lineout and my teammates supported me in the maul. As I started going to the ground to release the ball, someone jumped over from the other side and landed on my neck.”
“I remember the weight pushing down on my neck and the horrible sound of bone grinding and breaking. Everyone got up and I was lying on the ground unable to move. I struggled to breathe and one of the coaches got a few guys together and they very carefully turned me on my back.”
Picking up the pieces, at just 16 years of age, was extremely challenging both physically and mentally, Chris admits. It started with a six-month stint at HF Verwoerd Hospital.
“During my hospital stay, everyone was so positive and supportive, but nothing prepares you when you finally have to go back into the ‘real’ world. Postmasburg was a small town and not wheelchair friendly. It was quite a big shock moving back home,” he recalls.
“What saved me from being too negative was my family. My parents took on the role of looking after me and my brothers and sister were always around if I needed help. I’ll always be grateful to my mother and father for everything they sacrificed,” Chris shares.
“Most of my friends at the time were preparing for the year-end exams and very few came around to visit, so the first few months at home were really difficult as I had a lot of time on my hands to think and not sure what to do with my life.”
Opting to prioritise education, he headed to Elizabeth Conradie, a school in Kimberley that catered for children with disabilities, where he had to redo Grade 11.
“I think what saved me was when I started school the year after my injury. My focus moved to studying and for the first time, I actually started excelling in school. I think this was the turning point where I felt I could still achieve something in life,” Chris reflects. Upon matriculating in 1990, he moved back home and enrolled at Technikon SA where he obtained his national diploma in information technology.
“I also started doing IT support for a few businesses in town and became the local agent for a courier company, which kept me busy after I finished my studies as it took me around three years before I received an opportunity as a programmer at the Department of Land Affairs in Cape Town,” Chris shares.
Now based in Milnerton, he’s been a key member of the Old Mutual team since 2004. He explains: “I’ve moved between positions from disaster recovery and business continuity to implementing and managing the storage environments in the data centres.”
Not only does he have a successful career, but he also found love, at a friend’s 40th birthday party of all places. He recalls: “I always thought I’d grow old alone, but the hope of meeting someone was always there. A friend introduced me to Natasha and we talked for most of the night.
“I asked her for her number and she took my phone and added it. The next day, I had to work through my contacts because I couldn’t remember her name. Eventually, I called and asked her if she would like to go for coffee and the rest is history.” he recalls laughingly. They got engaged in 2010 and tied the knot in March 2011.
“The energy that she’s brought into my life is amazing. We like spending time with each other, we’re very supportive of each other and our careers and she goes above and beyond what someone else would,” he shares.
Another partner in life for Chris is the Chris Burger Petro Jackson Players’ Fund. He notes: “The impact the Players’ Fund has made in my life is quite significant. When I was still in hospital after my injury, they were talking about the cost of a motorised wheelchair and all the other equipment I’d need.”
“I knew that my parents would never be able to afford it. The Fund stepped in and helped me with most of the equipment I needed and they never make you feel like you’re begging for help the day you need them.”
His message to others, fittingly, is to never give up: “You have to do whatever you can to better your life. Never say no to new opportunities; you have to move forward, and above all, do it in such a way that you inspire someone who might be looking at you.”
