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Courtney Sparrow (15) brough hope to many by telling her story of how she survived being attacked by two lions.

Courageous Courtney an inspiration

Date: 20 November 2014 By: Linda van der Westhuizen

Courtney Sparrow (15) is a beautiful young lady who has gone through more in her life than most grown-ups have.

At her first speaking engagement, assisted by her mom, Courtney shared her story of how she was attacked by two lions five years ago in Zimbabwe. Her talk brought hope to the members of the depression support group in Louis Trichardt on 5 November. 

On 16 September 2008, nine-year-old Courtney, the daughter of game farmers Ron and Margaret Sparrow, was playing on the grass on their farm near Masvingo. Ron was on his way to South Africa for business. “My mom went to take a shower and said I shouldn’t go with the maid, who was going to clean inside another house some 50 meters from our house. I didn’t listen to her and I went with the maid. I went into the front room where you can see into the garden, where a male and a female lion were,” Courtney said.

A Canadian man used to stay in the fenced house next door. The lions had been sick, but were left there after they had recuperated to make it more difficult for war veterans to simply occupy the house. “Life at that stage in Zimbabwe was really a challenge,” said Margaret.  

The lions were hand-reared and it was believed they would not attack humans. “The lioness saw me and somehow got through the window and pulled me through the burglar bars. I just remember opening my eyes and seeing the lion’s mouth and jaws. I can’t really explain the fear in my heart; it was really bad. Then the lioness left me,” Courtney remembered. A gardener had beaten the lioness with a pole.

In the meantime, Courtney tried to get to the veranda gate, but it was locked. “As I put my foot over the gate, the male lion came and grabbed me from behind and pulled me down,” said Courtney. By then her mom had heard the screams and she beat the male lion.

The gardener carried a bloodied Courtney in his arms to Margaret. Courtney’s skull had been ripped open and all that that remained of her left eye was the exposed eyeball.

“I threw my youngest daughter Savannah (7), who was screaming her lungs out, in the front of the car. I sat at the back with Courtney, who was also screaming. The driver was in an absolute panic. We were driving at breakneck speed to the nearest clinic 20km away. Though I was not yet a believer then, I started to pray ... I had been in absolute fear, but in that moment a total calm came over me. I only realised later that this was God giving me peace. Then the miracles started to happen,” Margaret remembers.

The doctor at the clinic said Courtney had to go straight to theatre to be stitched up to stop the bleeding. There were no anaesthetics at the clinic and he gave a prescription. Margaret was not allowed to leave the clinic in case Courtney would not live. A friend went to four pharmacies to get enough medication to put her under. The anaesthetist was on leave and she was standing in a queue in some bank. The doctor of the clinic’s wife sent out teams to all the banks and within 15 minutes she was ready to give the anaesthetic. In the meantime, the nurses were gathering around Courtney, praying and singing. In and out of consciousness, Courtney still recollects the praying and singing.

Next, Courtney had to be air-lifted to Harare. Because it was a brain injury, only the medical air rescue aeroplane could fly her and they wanted R40 000 in cash before the plane would leave. This they demanded in US dollars, although it was illegal at that stage to have foreign currency. Someone miraculously went and paid it.

Harare, however, was a nightmare. Courtney had to be flown to South Africa at a cost of R120 000 and it was arranged. “When I got to Milpark Hospital, a friend was waiting for me and said that I was to go right in, she had deposited R50 000,” Margaret said.  

Courtney had a team of four of South Africa’s leading doctors in their fields - a paediatric surgeon, an eye surgeon, a neurosurgeon and a plastic surgeon. “Not one of these doctors asked us how we were going to pay these bills. In the end, her medical bills came to R1.5million. Courtney had something like 35 hours of surgery over a period of time. All of these costs were covered, some from our own pocket and some by kind people who gave donations. It was just miracle after miracle after miracle,” Margaret said.

Courtney stayed in hospital for three months.

The Sparrows returned to Zimbabwe but had to leave the country with only their suitcases. “We left everything, our house and our animals, because the war veterans were taking over. It was either that or face jail and with all our money gone into saving our child, we really didn’t have any more capital available. We didn’t have a knife or fork or linen and people of Louis Trichardt just reached out to us and helped us," Margaret said.

“I want others to see that, no matter what you go through, you are not alone. Put your faith in God,” is the message from young Courtney.

 

 
 
 

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Linda van der Westhuizen

Linda van der Westhuizen has been with Zoutnet since 2001. She has a heart for God, people and their stories. Linda believes that every person is unique and has a special story to tell. It follows logically that human interest stories is her speciality. Linda finds working with people and their leaders in the economic, educational, spiritual and political arena very rewarding. “I have a special interest in what God is doing in our town, province and nation and what He wants us to become,” says Linda.

 
 

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