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06 August 2021
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Story Nonsindiso Qwabe
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Every year, the Active Civic Teaching Office (ACT) at the University of the Free State runs the Big Give campaign to raise food, money to buy food, and other forms of assistance for needy students. This year is no different. ACT’s big project is raising money for sanitary pads for students on all three campuses. The project will run throughout Women’s Month, August 2021. Providing menstrual hygiene products to female students empower them to continue their studies in comfort.
Karen Scheepers, Assistant Director: Kovsie Support Services, said: “This year, one of the challenges that have been highlighted is the lack of sanitary wear for students. Therefore, we focus our Big Give campaign this year on addressing this challenge that students are experiencing.”
Be part of the Big Give campaign by donating sanitary pads or money towards this initiative. Donation boxes are ready for donations at all the entrance gates of all three campuses. Your donation will go a long way in helping a deserving student.
Quadriplegic doctor obtains degree against all odds
2016-11-25
Dr Swartbooi faces each day with vigour and
resilience. Dr Swartbooi analyses images on
a screen in the Clinical Imaging Laboratory
at Universitas Academic Hospital.
Photo: Oteng Mpete
Life’s defining moments are when perseverance is rewarded. It is not easy to swim against the tide. However, for Dr Ambrotius Swartbooi from the University of the Free State’s Department of Clinical Imaging Sciences, it became his moment of glory. In 2006, Dr Swartbooi suffered a spinal injury from a near-fatal car accident which left him paralysed and a quadriplegic.
The strength to carry on
“You have one of two choices:
to lie down and give up,
or to pick yourself up”
—Dr Swartbooi
Dr Swartbooi spent close to six months, recovering from his injuries. “You have one of two choices: to lie down and give up or to pick yourself up,” said Dr Swartbooi. He would inspire other patients with similar injuries to reintegrate into society despite their new-found circumstances.
Fortunately, not all was doom and gloom; in 2007 Dr Swartbooi got married, and his wife has supported and inspired him to continue pursuing his dreams. Dr Swartbooi completed his undergraduate medical degree at the UFS, and in 2014 decided it was time to complete his studies and pursued an MMed specialising in Diagnostic Radiology.
To treat or not treat: that is the question
After all his trials and tribulations, Dr Swartbooi will be receiving his MMed Diagnostic Radiology degree at the UFS Summer Graduation ceremony in December 2016. His research focuses on intracranial aneurysm size interventions. He discovered that there were discrepancies between international standards for intervention and African standards for intervention.
The research inspects what should be treated and how it should be treated. He found there was a gap in African literature into the size of aneurysms.
Champion of survival: Where to from here?
“That’s a good question,” said Dr Swartbooi. “Slowly from here. I still need to work on getting my full accreditation from the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA).” He plans to continue fuelling his passion for teaching. “There is no place better to teach than at an academic hospital.”
Dr Swartbooi commended the efforts of the Centre for Universal Access and Disability Support (CUADS), which assisted him in writing all his exams. “I want to be able to make a fulfilling and lasting impact on people but also to give the best medical service that I can,” concluded Dr Swartbooi.