Family, friends and strangers across the globe have stepped up to support Lee Wolf and her fight for healing.
Johannesburg, South Africa (07 September 2025) – When life throws the hardest challenges, it’s often the people around us who remind us what humanity is truly capable of. Over the past two weeks, South Africans, and even strangers across the globe, have rallied in the most incredible way to support award-winning broadcast content producer Lee Woolf as she faces one of the toughest battles of her life.
It started quietly. Just three people, over three days, sent out a desperate appeal to family and friends. The campaign, lovingly titled “A Partner’s Plea and a Mother’s Prayer”, asked for help to get Lee the urgent medical care she needs. What happened next was nothing short of extraordinary.
In less than a fortnight, more than R63,000 has already been raised towards the R150,000 goal on BackaBuddy. Loved ones, colleagues, and complete strangers instantly jumped on board – donating, sharing, and sending messages of hope.
And Lee has been deeply moved.
“This BackaBuddy thing we put together… what a gutting and emotionally overwhelming but absolutely mind-blowing if not humbling experience this has been,” she says.
“The responses… the prayers, love and support are so much bigger to me than anything. I’m so moved by the different people who are responding, from all walks within and across my life. It really says so much about people. And I’m literally beyond floored. It’s truly been everything to me, over and above the actual donations, and I will remain eternally grateful to this almost surreal kindness!”
For Lee’s family, the campaign has been a lifeline of hope. Her partner and mother shared how painful it has been to watch her health decline over the past two years, leaving her unable to walk and in constant pain. Despite countless visits to government and NGO facilities, answers have been hard to come by, and private medical care is now her best chance at recovery.
Yet in the face of so much hardship, what has shone through is the immense kindness of others.
Lee added in her thank-you note, “With all the love, light, and healing in the world to everyone who needs it, and we all do… a most humble thank you again.”
At its heart, this story is not only about one woman’s fight to get better. It’s about the way people show up for each other. It’s about how generosity, love and community can turn despair into hope. And it’s a reminder that even in our darkest hours, kindness has the power to light the way forward.
If you’d like to be part of this journey of healing and hope, you can support Lee through her BackaBuddy page here: A Partner’s Plea and a Mother’s Prayer.
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