Ten-year-old Danè Greyling remains in a paediatric intensive care unit after surviving a school minibus crash that claimed the lives of three learners and the principal of JCS Independent School in Vaalpark.
Danè was travelling with other learners on 8 October when the school minibus collided head-on with a truck at about 3.15pm.
Pastor Johan “Zet” Oosthuizen, 60, the school principal and driver, died in the crash. Learners Amandla Buthelezi, 7, her brother Lwazi Buthelezi, 9, and Uriel Govender, 6, were also declared dead at the scene.
Danè was airlifted to Netcare Alberton Hospital, where she remains under treatment in the paediatric ICU.
Her parents, Dandrè and his wife, have not yet told her that three of her schoolmates and her principal died in the collision. They do not know how much she remembers about the crash, and she has not indicated that she wants to discuss it.
The family believes Danè does not remember the collision clearly. For now, her parents are focusing on her immediate recovery and helping her process what happened to her.
“When we got to the hospital, it wasn’t a pretty sight. All I could see were pipes and machines everywhere around her. All you know is that it’s your child lying there,” Dandrè said.
Danè’s condition was initially unstable. She spent almost two weeks in an induced coma while her parents remained at her bedside from early morning until night.
“When she came round properly, she was very happy to see her mom,” Dandrè said.
The family’s relief was followed by a long and uncertain recovery. Danè still has a tracheostomy tube in her throat to assist her breathing and is unable to speak because of it.
“It’s difficult to see your child wants to say something, but she can’t speak,” her father said.
Danè communicates with her parents by typing messages on a cellphone or tablet. Her family has not yet been able to establish how much movement she will regain, particularly in her lower body.
Her parents said medical opinions differed on her future mobility. They have not yet seen movement in her lower body, and the family remains uncertain about whether she will walk again.
Danè has already undergone six-hour back surgery, as well as operations on her left leg and tongue.
Before the crash, she was an active child who enjoyed dancing, karate, swimming, colouring in and jumping on the trampoline.
Her parents are now helping her understand the crash, her injuries and the treatment she has received.
“Someone is helping her to carefully process the crash and her injuries. We want to carry her through this time with love and honesty,” Dandrè said.
The family also visited the crash scene as they tried to understand what had happened.
“That’s where we cried for the first time,” Dandrè said. “As a parent, you want to protect your child, but suddenly you realise how little control you have over the situation.”
Danè’s parents have chosen not to burden her with more information than she can handle while she continues to recover in hospital.
Her father said he would most like to know what was going through her mind and what she feared.
“How she’s really doing, and what she’s afraid of. What she needs,” he said.
The family hopes Danè may be able to return to school by the middle of 2027, but her father said they were trying not to look too far ahead while her treatment continued.
“We’re placing this matter in Jesus’ hands and keep praying for her recovery,” he said.
The Greyling family has medical aid cover, but the costs associated with Danè’s treatment and the time her parents spend at the hospital have continued to rise.
A BackaBuddy fundraiser has been launched to assist with the family’s expenses and help Danè’s parents spend as much time as possible with her during her recovery.
The verified campaign was created in the family’s name and describes Danè as the 10-year-old survivor of the school bus crash outside Sasolburg. It appeals for support with the long road ahead as she receives critical medical care and rehabilitation.
“No child or parent should have to go through such a tragedy,” Dandrè said.
The crash left the JCS Independent School community mourning the deaths of three learners and Pastor Oosthuizen, who was driving the minibus.
The three children who died were siblings Amandla and Lwazi Buthelezi and their schoolmate Uriel Govender. They were declared dead at the scene along with the principal.
Danè was the surviving learner identified in reports about the collision. She was flown to Alberton for treatment because of the severity of her injuries.
Her parents have spent the weeks since the crash moving between her bedside, medical discussions and the practical demands of supporting a child facing a lengthy recovery.
The family has not provided a definite prognosis for Danè’s mobility or indicated when she will leave the hospital. Her recovery will depend on her response to treatment and rehabilitation.
For now, communication remains limited because of the tracheostomy tube, but Danè can type messages to her parents on a cellphone or tablet.
Her family is also taking care not to force conversations about the collision or the deaths of her classmates before she is ready.
The parents said their priority was to give Danè truthful information in a careful way while protecting her from more than she can emotionally manage during her treatment.
The fundraiser is intended to ease the financial pressure created by the hospital stay, medical treatment and the family’s need to remain close to their daughter.
The family has thanked members of the public for their prayers and support as Danè continues her recovery.
Police comment on the circumstances of the collision was requested and will be added when received. The family’s account focuses on Danè’s condition, the treatment she has undergone and the uncertainty surrounding her recovery.
For the Greyling family, each stage of Danè’s recovery brings new questions. They are waiting to see how much movement she regains, how she responds to rehabilitation and when she will be able to communicate more easily.
While the family hopes she can return to school in 2027, they are concentrating on the next step in her treatment rather than setting a fixed timetable.
Danè remains in hospital surrounded by her parents, who say they are committed to supporting her through the long recovery ahead.
