Sometimes when we plan our road trips, God has Journeys of a different nature in mind for us. I will remember this past winter. Dalene and my paths crossed under strange circumstances in Europe during Covid times. I learned so much from her during the short time that I had a better view of her path. Let me share the story.

Spring is in the air in Mossel Bay! Dalene is excitedly planning their road trip when Burger comes home in a few days. He worked as a doctor in several African countries for 15 years. Distance is part of their reality, but these six months caused by Covid were particularly long. He comes home for six weeks to have fun, scenic drives and enjoy a barbecue every night. They can breathe for the first time in five years after the fatal car accident of Sumaré, their youngest daughter, a first-year student.

The cell phone rings. The message devastates Dalene. Burger has had a severe stroke in desert-like Mauritania in Africa, his current workplace!
The phone call kicked off their unplanned individual and joined emotional journeys in Covid times with very restrictive measures.

An ambulance transported Burger by desert road to the capital, Nouakchott. From there, he flew by ambulance plane to Frankfurt, Germany. In Frankfurt, doctors performed an emergency operation to remove part of his skull to allow the swelling in the brain. Dalene resigns from her 21-year job and arranges to fly to Germany for an uncertain and indefinite period.

Germany

Upon her arrival in Frankfurt, hospital staff members informed her that she could not see her husband in the ICU due to Covid. Daily feedback was limited to “critical but stable”. After two weeks, the doctors transferred him to the neurological Schmieder Clinic in Allensbach, Germany. After another three days of waiting for Covid test results, she could finally see her husband. However, she could only see him for three days a week and two hours at a time. For the remainder of the time, it was just her and her thoughts in a guest house room. The environment was getting darker and colder as winter approached.

Their family and friends are worried and trying to reach out to South Africans who could help provide support. I was close enough to travel by train, and our and the Prinsloo’s paths crossed. Once a week, Dalene and I travelled by train to Konstanz, a village on the German side close to the Swiss border. It was cold outside, and restaurants in Germany have been closed due to Covid. We walked across the border to Switzerland and got to know each other over a hot cup of coffee in a Swiss shopping centre.

Zurich, Switzerland

It became critical for the doctors to put back the part of Burger’s skull, temporarily stored in his stomach. Due to unavailable ICU wards in Germany, they identified a neurosurgeon in Zurich. The Swiss doctor had to operate on Christmas Eve, depending on the availability of an ICU bed. Burger would be transported to Zurich by ambulance on 23 December, and we would pick up Dalene by car. The ICU was unavailable, but for the first time in 10 months, they could spend unlimited time together on the 24th and Christmas Day.

The operation took place a day before the neurosurgeon left on holiday. The procedure was a success, but Covid rules were stricter. Many arrangements, letters and Covid tests later, Dalene returned to Germany in an ambulance with Burger. That was the last time I saw Dalene. After another two months, during which she could only see him for one hour a week, she excitedly informed me that they were flying to South Africa in early March for further rehabilitation there.

Burger and Dalene’s challenging situation, which they tackled with so much hope, faith, and love, impacted the lenses through which I look at life and privileges significantly. Covid circumstances are difficult for all of us. However, there are levels of difficulty. One example of this is an unexpected call to inform us that it is time for a journey instead of a road trip.

In memory of the strange times, I created a photo video.

Kind regards

Emsia