Life is fragile

The day started well. The girls woke up very early as they were still adjusting to the time difference.

We left for the Umfolosi-Hluhluwe Game park about 7 am. It took us about 3 1/2 hours to get to the park. The park is located to the north of Durban- closer to the Mozambique border. The game reserve is the 4th largest in South Africa and is known for its huge rhino population. There are about 1600 rhino in the reserve. It is also one of the few parks in SA that has the big five- rhino, hippo, lion, water buffalo and elephant.

The office driver drove us to the park- his name is Mkho. He is younger- I would say about 20. He has been driving for the office for a couple of years now.

It was very, very hot in the game reserve and there weren't as many animals out and about as I saw the time I was there before. In the few hours we were driving around we saw zebra, giraffe, rhino, warthog, wildebeest, impala, kudu and cape buffalo. The girls loved seeing the wild animals roaming around freely.

Then around 1 pm I am not sure what happened but I see the driver cross the road and run us head on into a tree. The new car that we had purchased for me is totaled. Sofia was the worst. She was bleeding profusely from her nose- at the time it happened I couldn’t really tell where it was coming from. And the driver, apparently in shock, got out of the car and went and sat under a tree. I was screaming at him to get me help for Sofia. Sienna was walking around in shock. After a few minutes some people started to come down the road in different vehicles and started to help us. We were about 30 minutes to the nearest place where an ambulance could meet us. They bandaged Sofia’s nose and this very nice couple took us to the nearest private hospital about an hour away. They didn’t advise us going to a local clinic even though it would have cost much less.

In the end, Sofia took a pretty hard hit to the face and it caused one side of her nose (where the bottom crease is) to detach. Her check and eye is swollen with a hematoma. They put her to sleep to sew her up giving her 5 stitches. Once it heals it will not be noticeable given the place it is. But the doctor wanted us to stay the night to observe Sofia, particularly. Sienna just had a few bruises. I am pretty beat up- especially my legs and elbows- huge bruises and scrapes. I think my elbow may be fractured but I didn’t have them check me out because it was already pretty expensive to have the services performed on the girls.

Over the past few days, I have been very, very sore.The girls were so brave. Sienna was more worried about the car and the bag of pasta that went everywhere in the car.


All we can figure out is the driver must have fell asleep. He doesn’t talk much English so I wasn’t able to converse much with him during the trip. And he hasn’t told Nunu or Sthembiso what has happened. I know he must feel bad. I feel so angry with him but know he didn’t mean to make it happen. It could have been so much worse than it was. Luckily in the game parks you drive slow so I would guess we were only going about 25 mph but hit the tree head on. The air bags deployed and for some reason the side of my head looks burned a little. All my hair and eyebrow is singed.

The hospital was wonderful. Very caring and such good care for us. Nunu stayed with me every minute to help with Sienna while I was back in surgery with Sofia. And all the staff have called and are sending prayers. Sfiso (the former Ex. Director) drove several hours to the hospital last night to help out. And Gavin and his wife are making us dinner tonight.

It was pretty hard not having family around to help but staff and friends have been great.

When we were in the hospital, there were even a group of women who came around and gave the girls big boxes of presents.

The good thing is that we are all okay and healing well. We have not gone too far from the bed and breakfast over the past 2 days since getting out of the hospital. And it has not slowed the girls down one bit. They have just as much energy and enthusiasm as before. In the hospital, Sofia was asking to go back to the game reserve.

Life is very fragile, never take it for granted.