Having suffered the worst tragic accident, Lungelo Sukazi looks forward to fulfill her dream of being a successful career woman and also to raise her two beautiful children.
“There was a time when I thought I was not going to make it, but I would remember my three-week-old child and become strong again,” said Lungelo who is a survivor of a gas explosion.
Lungelo lost her leg during the gas explosion which happened at her home kitchen last year April.
She remembers every detail of the accident very well and vowed to use her experience to help other accident survivors to not give up in life.
“I came came back to visit my parents in eMbalenhle during my maternity leave.
“It was during the load shedding and the electricity went off,” said Lungelo whose mother decided to use a Cadac gas cylinder cooker top to make food for the visitors.
The gas bottle was near the electricity stove and they did not notice that one plate of the stove was not off.
“The electricity came back and I noticed that something was strange about the gas bottle.
“Before I could do anything, I saw kitchen units, fridge doors and the ceiling flying high,” added Lungelo.
“All of a sudden, I was sitting down and saw light coming from the roof, only to realise the roof was damaged and open.”
Her brother went out through the window when things were flown inside the kitchen, but the other two children who were inside the house, were also injured.
“My three-week-old child was lying next to the stove and unharmed.
“When I looked at my legs, I realized that one leg from the calf downward was cut off,” said Lungelo trying very hard not to be emotional.
Her parents were not at home when the accident happened and when she phoned them, they rushed back to find their home filled with people.
Lungelo’s mother was not allowed to go near her daughter because she is diabetic.
They were afraid she might collapse.
The ambulance took Lungelo to Evander hospital, and was later flown to Witbank.
Lungelo recalled the treatment she received at Witbank hospital while she was waiting to go to theater.
“I was in pain for days and could see my leg turning green, while they kept on postponing the theater issue,” recalled Lungelo and further mentioned that her friends from Gauteng had to intervene before she could be assisted.
Lungelo said she was very brave in a way that she was used by the nurses to motivate other people who were not coping.
Her only hope in life was her children.
“I quickly accepted that I lost my leg and I will never get it back again.
“I also had to be strong for my family, especially my mother who was struggling to accept,” added Lungelo.
Her family was up and down with the hospitals, because the other two children who were also injured during the gas explosion were admitted in Pretoria.
At the same time they were also trying to replace everything they lost in the house.
Lungelo lost her job while she was still trying to heal.
One day, she overheard her brother talking to someone about internship positions for the police service.
She applied and to her surprise, she got the job.
Lungelo started to work as an intern at the Secunda Police Station last month.
Her wish is to get a prosthetic leg, but cannot afford it since she is just an intern.
Businesses and individuals who can be able to assist are more than welcome to do so.
