A Story of Strength, Loss, and Hope

A Story of Strength, Loss, and Hope – Help Jacobus Come Home

My name is Ryno, and I’m writing this with a heavy but hopeful heart for my dad, Jacobus Laubscher (66), lovingly known as Plasie — a man whose life has always been defined by resilience, generosity, and an unwavering love for others.

Since December 2025, my dad has been in hospital, fighting for his life. Just one day before he was admitted, our family experienced an unimaginable loss — we lost my brother, his firstborn son, in a tragic motorbike accident.

From that moment, my dad never had the chance to grieve. Instead, he was thrust into a battle for survival. He has spent months moving between ICU, high care, theatre, and rehabilitation — enduring surgeries, infections, and setback after setback, simply trying to stay alive.

But this is not the first time life has tested him.

More than 31 years ago, my dad became a paraplegic after being shot during a hijacking. For many, that would have broken them — but not him. He refused to be defined by it. He adapted, he per...