James Heathcote-Hacker and his family were hit by the unthinkable, leaving him fighting for his life in the hospital. In their darkest hour, South Africans have opened their hearts and wallets, contributing towards giving a man and his family a chance to weather this storm.
Balgowan, South Africa (24 April 2025) – There are seasons that come in life that will test the foundations of your faith, severely impact your health, strain you financially or put immense pressure on your family. For a 45-year-old father and husband, James Heathcote-Hacker, all these challenges hit him and his loved ones all at once like an avalanche, leaving them with a plea for help to weather their uncontainable storm.
Earlier this month, James was rushed to the Hilton Life Hospital, where doctors found a large 4x4cm brain tumour.
“None of us saw it coming. One moment, he was laughing with his children celebrating Gwen’s 6th Birthday — the next, we were facing the unthinkable,” recounts James’ brother-in-law Sean Conway.
James’ wife, Kerry, initially thought he was suffering from a stroke as he was severely disoriented, experiencing an intense migraine and unwell.
Consequently, Kerry has been holding everything together on her own while her husband fights for his life.
After sharing their unforeseen circumstances and with Sean’s creation of a BackaBuddy crowdfunding campaign, South Africans responded to this family’s cries and generously donated to help them through this difficult time.
In just eight days, R624,799 has been raised by kind-hearted strangers and loved ones from all over the country to help cover medical expenses, the family’s daily expenses while James can’t work and support Kerry and their two children. This significant amount exceeds the R500,000 fundraising goal!
Empathetic hearts have dug deep to help give a man a fighting chance at restored health, giving his family renewed hope.
South Africa, you are amazing!
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