When former Police Sergeant Yuri Ray fell ill with ALS, Cape Town didn’t step back, it stepped closer, wrapping him and his wife, Chavonne, in the same tenderness he once offered everyone around him.
Western Cape, South Africa (20 November 2025) – Some love stories begin quietly. Others arrive without warning, in the chaos of sirens and shattered glass, when fate steps in long before either person realises it. That’s how Chavonne met Yuri Ray, the man she would later marry, the father she’d watch lovingly guide his children, and now, the husband she refuses to leave alone through the hardest chapter of their lives.
They met on duty after Yuri had been T-boned while chasing a suspect. Chavonne was the paramedic who treated him at the scene.
“We became good friends thereafter,” she tells me, “and we were married on 1 September 2018, under a big gorgeous tree on Windmill Beach. He proposed a few months earlier at Boulders. We couldn’t wait to spend the rest of our lives together.”
Those lives changed dramatically last year when Yuri, a former Police Sergeant at Diep River Police Station, noticed pins and needles in his left pinkie. Those tiny tingles became the first sign of ALS, a cruel illness that slowly strips the body of its strength while leaving the mind fully aware of what’s being lost.
Today, Yuri cannot walk. His speech is slow. His short-term memory is slipping. His body is giving way in ways no one should ever have to face.
And yet… his spirit is unshaken.
His humour is still there.
His love is as fierce as ever.
And his impact is growing bigger by the day.
The policeman everyone loved
When I spoke to Station Commander Lieutenant Colonel Ansley Jacobs, the affection was immediate.
“He is very disciplined, very reliable, and worked with the community, who absolutely loved him.”
“We could always depend on him.”
“He was a very, very good policeman.”
But those words barely scratch the surface.
As one of the Sector Commanders, Yuri ran the Safer Schools initiative, visiting local schools, guiding children, uplifting troubled youth, and reminding them that police officers could be protectors, mentors and friends. He didn’t clock off when the shift ended. He didn’t walk past children who needed an anchor. He was known by name, recognised in shops, waved at in the streets, hugged by kids who felt safer because he existed.
And he saved lives. Literally.
One of the most unforgettable moments is the story of baby Haley, a tiny girl who wouldn’t have survived without him. According to Chavonne, Katherine Brink and Caroline Knight speak of it often, of how Yuri’s actions changed everything. Haley is thriving today because he showed up. Because he cared. Because that is simply who he is.
“Yuri always went the extra mile and more for his community,” Chavonne says. “His connection with people is too far-reaching to fit into a single write-up.”
Beyond the badge, Yuri is gentle, playful and endlessly curious about the world. He loves nature… the sea, sunrise swims, tidal pools, long walks on the beach, hikes whenever they could manage. He adores animals too; their home is filled with five rescue fur children who bring him joy daily, and recently, he’s reignited a love for horses. Motor racing is an obsession. Power Series, muscle cars, bikes… all of it lights him up.
But what brings the biggest smile?
“His children, our family, our friends… nature, all animals, music, new experiences, food, people in general,” Chavonne tells me. “Yuri loves to laugh and to make others happy. That really makes him smile.”
And despite all he’s facing, his bucket list remains stubbornly alive.
“Yuri wants to skydive before he goes. If his medical team says it’s safe, I want to make that a reality. That would put a permanent smile on his face.”
The community refuses to let them fall
ALS is a devastating illness, emotionally, physically and financially. Yuri’s BackaBuddy page shares this openly, rawly.
“I am scared, I am frustrated, I am angry, I am confused, but I am choosing to live each and every day to the fullest. To cherish every moment… We cannot do this alone. We need your help, please.”
Chavonne posted a heartbreaking video to social media this week asking for help.
And when that plea reached the world, something extraordinary happened.
“Yesterday, my faith in humanity took a flying leap off a steep cliff,” Chavonne says, “and I was caught by literal strangers.”
Friends stepped forward. Neighbours showed up. Strangers became family. Messages, donations, voice notes, prayers… everything arrived at once, wrapping them in a type of compassion that doesn’t often make headlines but absolutely should.
“My mom, brother and stepfather have been absolute pillars of strength. Friends have been phenomenal. The community… remarkable. I wish I could hug every single person. I am overwhelmed and in awe.”
Every person who meets him says the same thing: he radiates kindness.
“Yuri has the kindest heart and soul I have ever met,” Chavonne says. “I have met thousands of people through my career as a paramedic. Souls like Yuri are rare.”
He is humble. Soft-spoken. Gentle.
And even now, even now, he puts others first.
“He wants to see his community living safely,” she explains. “He wants the youth to grow up without fear, to reach their full potential. He always strives to see the best in everyone.”
Even when his body betrays him, his purpose does not.
Love in its truest form
The love between Yuri and Chavonne is almost impossible to summarise. It’s steady. It’s stubborn. It’s defiant. It’s tender. It’s the kind of love that doesn’t run when things get hard, it rolls up its sleeves and stays.
“God knew what lay ahead,” she says. “He chose for us to meet the way we did. I will carry him if I need to. I will love and honour and cherish every moment with him until the end of forever.”
It’s not often that the hardest stories are also the most beautiful. But this one is.
Because love is still present.
Humour is still present.
Joy, in small pockets, in tender moments, in quiet corners, is still present.
And the kindness of ordinary South Africans is lifting them, day after day.
How to support
Yuri needs several specialised items:
- an electric adjustable hospital bed
- a hoist
- a BiPAP ventilator
- modifications to his electric wheelchair
- ongoing care not covered by medical aid
His BackaBuddy page, which has already raised R87,335, shares everything in detail, and every contribution, share, or message matters more than you know. This isn’t just about easing the weight of ALS. It’s about giving a man who has spent his entire life serving others a chance to feel held in return.
If you ask Chavonne what she wants people to know about Yuri, she doesn’t hesitate.
“He would risk his life for a complete stranger. He stands for justice and honour. He is passionate about his community, his loved ones, and seeing others reach their fullest potential.”
And maybe that’s the heart of it: Yuri spent his life showing people that good officers exist, that kindness matters, that service is sacred and that looking after each other is the only way communities thrive.
Now it’s our turn to show him the same.
Love can stretch. Compassion can multiply. Community can move mountains.
And together, we can help a man who once protected so many continue living with dignity, courage and the joy he so deeply deserves.
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