A 21-year-old Polokwane woman has passed away after spending two weeks fighting for her life in the intensive care unit following a fiery car crash on her way to work.
Gabby Rosser died on 30 October after developing complications from severe burn wounds sustained in the collision two weeks earlier.
Her stepmother, Jenny Osborn, explained that her body could no longer cope after two weeks of intensive treatment and daily prayers at her bedside.
“She developed a secondary infection and it was just too much for her body to handle. She passed away from sepsis,” Osborn said.
Fiery crash on the way to work
At the time of the crash, Gabby was driving her Citroën to the Christian Bethshalom school, where she worked as a receptionist.
As she reached the intersection of De Wet Avenue and Munnik Street in Bendor, Polokwane, her car was struck by a Mercedes-Benz. According to her family, the driver of the Mercedes-Benz allegedly ran a red traffic light and ploughed into Gabby’s vehicle, causing it to roll and burst into flames.
Passersby rushed to the burning wreckage to help her, using fire extinguishers to douse the flames while emergency services were called to the scene.
Gabby suffered burns over 70% of her body and was rushed to the intensive care unit at Pholoso Hospital. Over the next two weeks, she had to be taken to the operating theatre every second day so doctors could treat her wounds.
‘We thought it was just a dip before things got better’
Despite the severity of her injuries, her loved ones held onto hope that she would pull through and begin the long road to recovery.
“After day seven, we became hopeful that she would survive. She deteriorated about two days before she passed away, but we thought it was just a dip before things got better,” Osborn said.
Because Gabby did not have medical aid, a crowdfunding campaign was started with a goal of raising R2 million to cover her hospital care and recovery. More than R900,000 has been donated so far, with members of the public continuing to contribute following the news of her passing.
Osborn noted that the family holds no ill feelings toward the medical staff who treated Gabby in her final days.
“We are not angry with the doctors or hospital staff at all. They did their best to save her life,” she said.
Remembering a young woman full of dreams
Gabby’s father, Craig, her mother, Judith Botha, and her sisters, Erin and Vallerey Rosser and Jessica van der Walt, have been left heartbroken by her death.
“At the moment, we’re just trying to stay strong for Gabby,” Osborn said, adding that the 21-year-old still had big ambitions for her future, “from motivational speaking to teaching children jiu-jitsu.”
For Osborn, it is Gabby’s warm personality that will leave the biggest void.
“Her sense of humour, that smile, and how she just wanted to make everyone happy – that’s what I’ll miss the most,” she shared.
The family also expressed their gratitude for the messages and financial support pouring in from across the globe.
“All the prayers, love and care – ‘thank you’ is not a big enough word,” Osborn said.