[imagesource:titkok/barthodick3]

Uber driver and TikTok sensation, Bartho Dick from Booysen Park in Gqeberha, has a ball on the job by pranking his customers.

The fun flows both ways as he spreads joy to his customers with his jokes, massive smile and infectious laugh. Little did he know that one day, his kindness would save someone’s life.

PE Express reports how Dick’s big heart helped Natasha Mulusa four years ago when she was feeling incredibly low, and ultimately “saved her life”.

Mulusa was so impacted by her encounter with this Uber driver four years ago that she shared a post on Facebook recently about how much it meant to her.

She said that she initially wanted to thank him privately for “saving her life” in February 2020, during a time when she was in deep depression, but she struggled to find him on Facebook.

In a bid to find Dick, Mulusa bravely shared about how she was at the lowest moment in her life, and in a place where nothing made sense. The Facebook post went viral, and she eventually found him:

She explained how a simple ‘How are you?’ from Dick at a time when she was ready to commit suicide meant the world to her:

She said that Dick then asked her if he could stop his car, and proceeded to get out of the car and asked her to get out as well. “He gave me a very warm hug and I just cried,” said Mulusa.

“I never shared many details about what was really happening in my life, but he gave me a word from God. I don’t remember his exact words, but I remember very well that it helped and healed me so much.”

Mulusa said that she doesn’t “like using the word coincidence” and believes that Dick was sent to remind her that God was with her through the challenges she faced. She said it was also a reminder that her story was not over.

Dick said that when he was alerted to the post, he was worried that it would be negative, but when he eventually read it he broke down in tears.

“I never knew that I could have that kind of impact on someone,” said Dick.

He said he could recall the moment with Mulusa and often wondered how she was, and if she was still alive, especially when he would drive past her pick-up and drop-off points.

He said that reading her post “hit hard” because he too had experienced a difficult time in life and wanted to commit suicide.

“I want people to know that every challenge in life is temporary, and that no matter how dark the tunnel is, there is always light at the end of the tunnel,” said Dick.

Now, with a life motto ‘Doen dit net mal, dit is al’, which translates to ‘Just do it in a crazy manner, that is all’, Dick just wants to add a fun element to his e-hailing trips by doing various pranks. Initially, he even saw it as a way to challenge any negative perception of e-hailing drivers. He said he ultimately wanted to encourage both drivers and their passengers to respect one another.

“Many of my passengers enjoy my pranks, especially on Monday mornings when many people experience the Monday blues. I try to create a different vibe and many people ask me where I get the energy from, especially on a Monday,” said Dick.

“My belief is that we must be grateful for a new day.”

A video posted on TikTok in November 2022 shows a dove flying into his car and casually sitting on his shoulder. It went viral and now has almost 400,000 views.

@barthodick3♬ original sound – the Uber driver

What a character, what a good man.

@barthodick3 #SAMA28 #savedsomoneslife#neverknewsuicideisnotthewayout ♬ original sound – the Uber driver

Don’t forget, small acts of kindness go a long way.

{{Anyone struggling with mental health issues can call the South African Depression and Anxiety Group’s (Sadag) 24-hour mental health helpline on 0800 456 789.

Sadag’s WhatsApp counselling line can be contacted from 09:00 to 16:00 at 076 882 2775.

Or call the South African Federation for Mental Health on 011 781 1852 or LifeLine SA on 0861 322 322.}}

Also, just keep swimming;

[source:peexpress]