SOLO NQWENI: ON THE ROAD TO RECOVERY

On his way back up again, cricketer and sportsman Solo Nqweni is recovering well after being diagnosed with a rare disease mid-career, followed by TB and Covid-19.

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After facing a series of major health setbacks, Eastern province cricket player Solo Nqweni is proving that true grit, determination and a strong spirit can beat the odds. Slowly getting stronger, he hopes to return to the cricket field one day.

Solo (27) was born in Gqeberha, formerly known as Port Elizabeth. He has been a squad member of the Eastern province Warriors, and played for the Aberdeenshire Cricket Club in Scotland. As a student, he also represented the national cricket team.

In 2019 his career came to an abrupt halt after he was hit with Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS), a disorder that causes one’s immune system to attack the body’s nerves, resulting in paralysis. Unable to move his body, Solo was hospitalised. He still can’t walk without aid and is recovering with therapy.



TRIPLE BLOW
In May 2020, he tested positive for Covid-19. At the time, Solo said on his Twitter account: ‘So last year I got GBS, and have been battling this disease for the past 10 months and I’m only halfway through my recovery. I got TB (tuberculosis), and my liver and kidneys failed. Today I tested positive for coronavirus. I don’t understand why all of this is happening to me.’

“I’ll tell my son that I managed the situation instead of the illness stopping me from living.”

COUNTING HIS BLESSINGS
Solo wasn’t about to be beaten, however. ‘I was always trying not to waste time,’ he says. ‘I focused on self-improvement, always reading and studying. I was preparing for whatever would come next.’

Luckily, he had a great support structure, with family and friends – and even strangers – helping him through during the dark days.

‘Everybody was very supportive when I was down,’ he says. ‘It’s been completely overwhelming and I just count my blessings. For the first nine months I didn’t do any social media and had no contact with people. I was still trying to accept what was happening, and my new life. When I started posting on Twitter it was to accept GBS, so everyone could see and accept it too. People showed that they really cared about my journey.’

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STORY HE WANTS TO TELL
Solo says his two-year-old son was also a motivating force throughout his health battles. ‘My ex-girlfriend and I get along, and we are both very involved in our son’s life,’ he smiles. ‘There will be a time when my son asks questions about how I handled this situation. It’s all about what story you want to tell – I’ll tell my son that I managed the situation instead of the illness stopping me from living. That’s the kind of motivation you get in life when you have someone who depends on you.’

GENEROUS SUPPORT
Hospital treatment is not cheap and Solo’s family started a fundraising campaign so he could access treatment to prevent him from becoming completely paralysed. Their GoFundMe crowdfunding campaign aimed to raise R1,8m to pay for an air ambulance and the medical support needed to transport him from Aberdeen in Scotland, where he was playing cricket at the time of his diagnosis, to specialist facilities in Johannesburg. As it turned out, a private donor made a substantial contribution that enabled Solo to make the journey home sooner than expected, and the family could halt the campaign. South Africa’s national cricket team, the Proteas, also contributed towards his medical expenses.

PLAN B FOR NOW
Currently, doctors expect Solo to be able to function independently by early 2022. In the meantime, he needs to keep going. While he is unable to play cricket, he is working in the finance industry as he studied economics in tertiary.

BACK-UP SKILLS ESSENTIAL FOR SPORTSPEOPLE
‘I’m definitely living proof that your sporting career could end abruptly,’ he says. ‘When you get sporting contracts you believe you’re indestructible. You think it will be like that forever. You’re naïve.’ He adds that one needs to be skilled in something outside of their sport. ‘You need a skill because your sporting career has an expiry date. Very few people can retire without doing anything else. Your sporting career can end at the age of 40, and you will live longer than that.’

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FUTURE GOALS
Solo dreams, of course, of getting back onto the cricket pitch, although he knows this won’t be soon. ‘Even though I’ve become mentally stronger, I’ve lost a lot of muscle and fitness,’ he says. ‘My goal for now is to become completely independent so that I don’t need a nurse or carer. I’m not in a wheelchair anymore but I’m still using a walker. The next step is to get onto crutches and then walk independently again. Cricket will never be off the cards but I’m not sure at what level I’ll be able to play. There have been so many changes. Only time will tell...’

With his steely determination and inner resolve, he will surely realise his dream of getting back onto the pitch some day. Here’s to his full recovery.

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