One of our SPAR weekly heroes has an inspiring story we didn’t even know about… Andrew Smale was in a near-fatal accident which inspired him to make a difference and earn his wings.
If Andrew Smale’s name seems familiar to you, it is probably because you read the story we wrote about him back in February. He was selected as our SPAR Hero of the Week for doing a good deed at a local national park.
Andrew took a sunny selfie of himself clearing out a cattle grid at the Bisley Nature Reserve which inspired over 2,000 people. He was praised for his actions even though that wasn’t what he set out to achieve, he just wanted to take care of the animals.
Fast forward a few weeks and imagine our surprise when we found out that there is so much more to Andrew’s story…
As it turns out, Andrew’s good deed spurred from the fact that he was in a near-fatal car accident in February 2017. He was brought back after two cardiac arrests, broke nearly all the bones in his chest, fractured a few vertebrae, had both lungs collapse and spent a month in a coma.
Prior to the accident, he was on a path of pure goodness. He had started working to launch his non-profit organisation, which planned to focus on aerial surveillance and support to anti-poaching operations. He started his helicopter pilots licence and got really far into his training.
While his accident has been a setback, his dream for the last 4-years has not been lost. Now that he is finally regaining his strength he is allowed to finish off his training. He earned his Private Pilot Licence (PPL) so his remaining flight hours are being done with the Emzemvelo honorary pilots, doing aerial surveillance in anti-poaching efforts, so he can get his commercial licence.
“His recovery has been very slow. After losing 22kgs of weight, it’s been a gradual process regaining his physical strength. With faith and determination there has been dramatic improvements. He is now desperate to get back on his feet and continue in his quest” – Ellen Smale
Once his training is completed, he will be able to refocus on his NPO goal and help save the threatened animals of South Africa.
You can support and follow his incredible journey here. We cannot wait to see his progress and hopefully one day, we will be able to share more about his NPO and the good work it does.
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