Ex Springbok captain, Joost van der Westhuizen, who was diagnosed with Motor Neuron Disease four weeks ago, spoke to Rapport in an exclusive interview saying “I’m fighting this illness with my faith. And my faith is strong.”

In the interview, Joost said that he still couldn’t believe that he has the disease. The doctors who examined him have given him three years to live. He said that the moment he heard the news it was as if his life came tumbling down on him.

Joost told Rapport that hearing his diagnosis was infinitely worse than the scandal that surrounded his personal life in 2009:

The stress that I have endured over the last two years is nothing compared to this.

In the interview Joost, who is far from the strong, fit man he used to be, struggled to speak without bursting into tears and had to excuse himself at times.

He says that his children are now his greatest concern:

The first thing I did was to check if my policies are in order for my kids.

Before the interview began, he had cut himself shaving as he was shaking so much. He says the thought of actually dying of the disease has not properly sunk in yet.

He said that he noticed that something was wrong in December last year, when he struggled to move his hand properly, but he put it down to an old sports injury, but then he says his speech started to slur:

But, as time passed my speech became impaired. When I spoke to people, they would say: “Joost, are you drunk?” Later on, when I took the kids to Sun City for three days, it happened again. The kids and I and old Kellies (his doctor and friend, Dr Henry Kelbrick) played in the pool with a ball. Then Kellies and I started to wrestle.

That’s when he realised there’s something wrong with my arm. The next day we started to talk. I asked him: “Can you hear that my speech is becoming more and more impaired?” He immediately sent me to a neurologist and then they took X-rays.

The next day, when he gave me the results, it was the first time I ever saw him being emotional. He said: “Joost, what else could happen to you now?”

After he told me I have motor neuron disease, he said that doctors didn’t know how to treat it. I became a blank. I hardly remember anything from that day.

Joost says that doctors don’t know what causes the disease. It’s not due to lifestyle or stress, it’s a person’s nervous system collapsing, leading eventually to death.

He has since visited a neurologist in Johannesburg to get a second opinion and is still waiting for a final diagnosis.

Joost then spoke about his faith and family:

My faith carries me. I get unbelievable support from my parents (Mariaan and Gustav van der Westhuizen) and my two brothers (Pieter and Gustav Jr). My parents are really taking it very badly.

But, I will fight this thing. Even if it’s the last thing I do.

[Source : Rapport via Sport24]