GRAAFF-REINET NEWS - Former Volkskool High learner Davion Peters, has lost his battle to leukemia at the tender age of 21 years.
Davion, also known as "Chucky," was one of the schools most formidable rugby players. He matriculated in 2017.
In 2019 he was accepted to study teaching at the University of the Free State in Bloemfontein. However, he became ill and had to return to Graaff-Reinet. On 23 March 2019 he was diagnosed with severe APlastic Anemia.
APlastic Anemia is a rare condition in which the body stops producing enough new blood cells it develops as a result of bone marrow damage. Unfortunately, Davion had to put his studies on hold to start with treatment as soon as possible. His cousin Aloycia Marais says the disease was foreign to the family and has since changed their lives in the blink of an eye.
By all indications, Davion was an aspiring young man with a very bright future ahead of him. However, in 2019 he was faced with his biggest challenge yet - leukemia. He was referred to undergo treatment in Gqeberha at St Georges Hospital where he underwent treatment in April 2019.
According to Aloycia he returned home later that year in August in a stable condition.
"However, it did not end there. Davion's appendix had to be removed, he got chickenpox, measles and even Covid-19 but he fought through it all because Davion was a fighter."
Aloycia says the doctors referred to Chucky as the "Boy in the Bubble" due to his fighting spirit. And because of his endurance in 2020, he was at home with his family and only went to the hospital for blood tests now and then.
At the beginning of 2021, he started treatments at the Netcare Hospital in Cape Town in preparation for his transplant. His family had to, once again, braise themselves for another journey of treatments.
Aloyicia says the doctors were amazed at how strong Davion was and they could almost confirm at that time that he had won his fight against this cancer.
She says their joy was short-lived when Davion was diagnosed with another disease - "Graft Versus host" - a week later that is very common in this kind of cases. After some time in hospital undergoing treatments, Davion was discharged from the hospital on 31 June.
Aloyicia says she can recall that day very clearly. "We ran like headless chickens with everyone wanting to go and pick him up from the hospital."
His former high school principal, Theo Dorflling, described him as a comedic character and a formidable rugby player with an intense love for the sport. The school has also expressed special condolences to his younger brother, Diego Peters, a grade 11 learner at the school.
According to Diego his elder brother set a hard example to follow with his immeasurable joy for life.
"I've always wanted to be like him. There were times when we smiled and cried together. He never made me feel that I have to face my problems alone."
Many of Chuckey's friends have described him as a true friend that embodied strength, humbleness and excellent problem-solving skills.
He sadly died two weeks ago due to heart failure on Wednesday 7 July.
The Peters family says his time at home was priceless and in that short space of time they made so many memories.
"Davion didn't give up because he did not have any fight left in him. He chose to go."
Davion was buried on Saturday 17 July.
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