Dawid Louw says he was left “shocked” and “numb” after being told of the severity of his son Elrigh’s leg injury.
Louw suffered what appeared to be a serious knee injury early in the second half of the Vodacom Bulls’ match against the Lions at Ellis Park on 25 January. The loose forward left the field on a golf cart in visible agony and it later emerged that he had also broken his left leg.
Louw will only go under the knife in Johannesburg on Tuesday due to swelling around the area.
Dr Bradley Gelbart, who successfully operated on the knee Bok hooker Malcolm Marx injured at training during the 2023 World Cup, will also perform Louw’s surgery.
Dawid Louw was not at the match and was given the bad news by a rugby journalist via WhatsApp. He said he had still not been able to watch video footage of the incident or even look at photos.
“I was numb when I heard how serious it was,” he told Rapport. “It was a very difficult thing for me. I was devastated. Shocked. As I processed it, it affected me tremendously emotionally.
“I began to consider the possibility that Elrigh wouldn’t be able to play rugby again, or wouldn’t be able to play again for another year, which meant that I couldn’t go to Loftus Versfeld, or take people there. I started to ask myself if I was busy being Elrigh Louw’s father instead of Dawid Louw.
“It’s incredibly stressful for me. You’re powerless, you can’t help your child. It’s a frustrating feeling. It’s an emotional struggle. There’s still a lot of uncertainty about the outcome of the injury.”
Dawid Louw said he was hoping for a positive prognosis after the operation.
“I hear the doctor is good. He operated on Malcolm’s leg, which gives you courage.”
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Photo: Nokwanda Zondi/BackpagePix
