Cape Town — Friday will be the big day for Chris Jordaan, the injured Paarl Boys’ High rugby player after he underwent an emergency brain operation following a rugby injury earlier this week.
It will be 48 hours since he went under the knife to relieve pressure on his brain after Chris Jordaan ‘freak accident’ in a match against the Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool (Affies).
He took a knock to the head after a tackle and was rushed to the hospital for surgery. He will be brought out of sedation on Friday.
Jordaan (17) on Thursday, though, reacted to family and started squeezing their hands and moving his hand, according to Paarl Boys’ High first-team coach Sean Erasmus.
Erasmus spoke to IOL Sport on Thursday after his team overcame Selborne College at the King Edward VII School’s Easter festival in their first match of the tournament.
Paarl Boys’ High, playing the match for Jordaan, scored a convincing 55-5 win after a good second-half showing.
“His dad let me know that he started to show signs. He moved his own hand and squeezed someone’s hand,” Erasmus said.
“Tomorrow (Friday) will be the big day for him. It’s when they will bring him out of sedation.
“It will be the first time he is awake since the game, and we are looking forward to it. It’s going to be a Good Friday, literally and figuratively.”
Erasmus said they’ve been receiving support from far and wide after the incident on Tuesday and that it’s good to see not just the rugby family in South Africa showing up for Jordaan, but also schools in general.
They have been sent messages from near and far to wish their pupil a speedy recovery and to support his teammates and coaches.
According to Erasmus, it’s been a sad time for the team but they’ve decided to play for their teammate over the next couple of days.
“We’re talking with the boys regularly, and that support over the next couple of weeks will be important. It’s an emotional time.
“We are trying to have open conversations with them constantly, while we have a psychologist who is prepared to come and help when needed.
“But the guys are better today and it was good for them to saddle up the horse and move forward.”
He says the support from the rugby fraternity and schools over the country has been impressive and is appreciated dearly.
Two things stood out for him at this time.
“The whole school’s and rugby world came together with the Chris Jordaan incident. The number of messages we’ve received, calls. It’s amazing. Every day you have people, who you don’t know, phoning from different corners From schools, from provincial teams.
“Rugby is definitely a family sport where people come together when times are tough.
“The second thing is that a lot of people are praying for Chris and that God is busy showing through his (Chris’s) injury how amazing His grace is. We are thankful for that.”
IOL Sport
