Love
Photo Credit: Supplied

Through love, loss, and the NICU, Nicky and Grant created Alchemy Theatre, a dream born from struggle, hope, and the magic of connection.

 

Johannesburg, South Africa (02 July 2025) – It started with a video call and a love of words. Nicky and Grant Ewels were just two writers on opposite ends of the country, connected by a shared passion and the casual magic of Zoom. She was in Johannesburg, he was in Cape Town. Their chats were regular, warm but platonic, until, as these things sometimes do, something shifted.

It wasn’t until April 2023 that they met in person. Nicky, ever the adventurer, packed up her golden lab, Jasper and road-tripped down to the coast for Monster Jam, a spontaneous ticket gifted by Grant to her as a quiet gesture that would turn into so much more.

One beach walk, one rescued township puppy they found along the way, and one magical spark later, the two found themselves not just falling in love, but falling into a life they could never have scripted.

Jasper and his new love, Kira, found wandering the beach while Nicky was in Cape Town.

By June of that year, they were expecting their first child, an unplanned, unexpected, and utterly loved surprise.

But financially, the timing couldn’t have been worse. Grant had just relocated to Johannesburg with no job lined up and was living off his savings, searching for employment in his new city. Nicky was navigating work instability and early motherhood all at once. But where the path grew unsteady, their love grew stronger.

“Four months after the birth of our daughter, we have no stable income, a mountain of debt, more job rejections or zero replies than our self-esteem is worth, and a baby who we are eternally grateful for despite all the challenges.”

“She is happy, healthy, and an absolute delight.”

“We’re leaning heavily into love. Love for each other, love for what we do, love for the dreams we have.” – Nicky Ewels

Their daughter, Iliana, was due in February 2024. Nicky planned a natural home birth, but after a week of unprogressing labour, they were rushed in for an emergency c-section on Valentine’s Day. What followed was every parent’s nightmare: Iliana was born with the cord wrapped around her neck and not breathing. She spent a month in the NICU, fighting for breath and recovering from the trauma of her birth.

While she healed, her parents were dealt another blow, their medical aid refused to cover the costs because Nicky was already pregnant when she joined her medical aid provider. By the time Iliana was discharged, the couple owed more than R400,000 in medical bills, on top of mounting living expenses, loans, and the loss of Nicky’s job.

But through it all, the panic, the bills, the fear, there has been one constant: a deep love. Love for their daughter. Love for each other. Love for the dream they’re still chasing through the Alchemy Theatre.

They built Alchemy Theatre, a dream project that fused Nicky’s love of performance and writing with Grant’s passion for food and storytelling. Their first immersive event, The Gravity of Time, launched in November 2023 and was the first flicker of light in a difficult, uncertain season.

The business isn’t profitable yet, but it’s filled with purpose. It’s their heartbeat in theatrical form, a reminder that even in the darkest of seasons, art and connection can be a lifeline.

Nicky reached out to share their journey in the hope of connecting with people who value a compelling love story, a tale of overcoming adversity or a promise of hard work paid off.

They’re not asking for handouts. They’re asking to be seen, for a shot at sustainability, for their story to matter, for the chance to create something that feeds others as much as it feeds them.

Through the lessons learned through this journey and the kindness shared by those supporting Iliana’s recovery, they hope to be able to use these moments in raising Iliana, too.

“We can thrive and teach our daughter that whatever path she chooses to follow in life, her attitude and the people she surrounds herself with are what will get her through the tough times.”

You can support them by attending an event, sharing their work, or donating to their BackaBuddy for Iliana’s medical bills. Because sometimes the most powerful stories are the ones still being written, and this one, against all odds, is filled with love.


Sources: Email Submission
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About the Author

Tyler Leigh Vivier is a writer for Good Things Guy.

Her passion is to spread good news across South Africa with a big focus on environmental issues, animal welfare and social upliftment. Outside of Good Things Guy, she is an avid reader and lover of tea.

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