Upon graduation, academics sometimes describe the arduous process of having completed a PhD as a “miracle”. But when Dr Chris Jurgens, a civil engineering lecturer at Stellenbosch University (SU), received his PhD this week, he gave new meaning to the phrase “a walking miracle”.
Jurgens sustained severe injuries in a motorcycle accident early last year, but an almost unbelievable fortuitous chain of events and “miracle workers” saved his life. After the accident, Jurgens’ renewed sense of purpose, faith and appreciation of life played a key part in his recovery and academic success.
On Thursday 9 February 2023, the trajectory of Jurgens’ life changed in an instant. He had been on his motorcycle, heading to Stellenbosch along the R44, a route he’d travelled countless times. However, on this fateful morning, a visitor from Namibia who was lost had made an illegal crossing right in front of him. Just as Jurgens swerved to avoid an accident, the vehicle accelerated in the same direction.
He struck the rear door of the car, sustaining horrific injuries: a fractured skull, severe bleeding on the brain, a shattered wrist, a broken shoulder, torn knee ligaments and a collapsed lung.
Jurgens recalls the accident with vivid clarity, not from personal memory – he has no recollection of the incident due to the traumatic brain injury – but through the meticulous details shared by investigators, eyewitnesses and medical staff. “Luckily, I didn’t speed, and I was wearing all the correct safety equipment – a helmet, neck brace and a padded jacket. I think that played a big part in me being here today,” he says.
A chain of miracles
Jurgens’ survival hinged on a series of events so exact they seemed orchestrated by a higher power. No wonder the aftermath of his ordeal has deepened his faith.
The first person on the scene was a nurse from the nearby LifeShine Wellness Centre, who held Jurgens’ hand and made him comfortable. Her being there drew the attention of passing motorists. Moments later, an optometrist, who is also a motorcycle rider, stopped and together the doctor and nurse began administering emergency care.
Just as Jurgens’ heart stopped beating, the perfect hero arrived on the scene: Ryan Wills, Mediclinic’s training manager for emergency care, rarely responds to roadside emergencies himself but happened to have his medical kit for training purposes in his car that day. With this equipment, Wills got Jurgens’ heart beating again and called for an ambulance.
In the ambulance, Wills and the ER24 paramedic inserted a breathing tube and placed Jurgens on a ventilator. This ensured the injuries sustained to his head, face and chest would not impact his airway and breathing. On their way to the hospital, another intervention ensured that he would receive timely treatment.
“While they were stabilising me, my wife Alet phoned me quite by chance. The ambulance driver answered my cell phone and told her what had happened. He asked her to go to Mediclinic Vergelegen immediately and start filling in the forms so that everything would be in place for me to be admitted. When the ambulance arrived at the hospital, all the doctors were waiting, all suited up. Those precious seconds helped to save my life.”
Doctors first performed emergency surgery to relieve the pressure on his brain. Reconstructive surgery on his knee, broken shoulder and arm followed. His shattered wrist was deemed unsalvageable by a hand specialist but was ultimately saved by an orthopaedic surgeon’s bold intervention. “The X-ray of my wrist looked like someone had tossed a handful of macaroni on a table,” Jurgens explains holding up his hand. “But the orthopaedic surgeon hammered in a nail, pulled my wrist straight and today I can still use my hand and all five fingers,” Jurgens demonstrates with a big smile.
“It was unbelievable. The right people at the right time…” he marvels. “Statistically, the chances of all those things happening in perfect chronology are incredibly small. I have no doubt it was divine intervention.”
The long road to recovery
Doctors had warned Alet that her husband’s chances of survival were slim. For a week, she went to the hospital every day, unsure if it would be the last time she’d see him alive. Miraculously, Jurgens pulled through, but the road to recovery was arduous. “I was in ICU for a week, about a month in another ward and then a step-down facility. It was a very traumatic ordeal for my family.”
When he finally regained consciousness six weeks later, he had no memory of the accident. Even worse – he had no memory of his small children.
“I woke up at night, saw the hospital bed, and thought, ‘What happened? I was on my way to work this morning.’ The following morning I only recognised my wife; I could not remember my two daughters nor their names. Luckily, they had not visited me yet. It took about another three weeks for my memories of them to return.”
As Jurgens slowly regained his physical and cognitive abilities, his family rallied around him. His wife and children, parents and parents-in-law as well as the unwavering support of the SU community, were instrumental in his rehabilitation, Jurgens emphasises.
“It must have been very tough for my wife; I think she suffered much more than I did when I was in a coma. Support from the University was also incredible. My supervisor, Prof Jan Wium, the head of civil engineering and my SU colleagues visited me in the hospital. At a Rector’s Breakfast earlier this year, I had the opportunity to also thank Prof Wim de Villiers personally. I told him how Stellenbosch University played a big role in my drive to recover. That support was invaluable.”
Jurgens faced months of grueling rehabilitation. His occupational therapist devised a plan to rebuild his cognitive abilities. “She told me to read a lot, summarise and then verbally relay the information,” Jurgens recalls. “My poor wife… she had to listen to every detail of Elon Musk’s biography and every other book I read!” These exercises, paired with puzzles and mental games, gradually restored his concentration.
Despite lingering physical limitations – a stiff wrist, reduced shoulder mobility and an inability to jog – Jurgens considers himself very fortunate. “Compared to the alternative of not being here, I’m very happy to live with such minor difficulties.”
A new lease on life
The accident was a “complete reset” and a necessary intervention, Jurgens believes. “It had to happen. The Lord gave me a clear message: ‘You’re not on the right track. You need to fix things for your sake and for your family’s sake’.”
While devastating, the accident gave Jurgens a profound sense of clarity. “Before it happened, I struggled with procrastination,” he admits. “My to-do lists were endless. In the hospital I reflected: ‘What would they have written on my gravestone? Here lies Chris, a nice guy who never finished anything?’ That’s not who I want to be.”
Determined to change, Jurgens returned to SU in July 2023, just five months after the accident. “I told myself I would walk into the office with the students for the second semester, and by God’s grace, I did.”
With newfound purpose, Jurgens immersed himself in completing his PhD which focuses on technology adoption in the construction industry. “Before the accident, I just wanted to finish my dissertation,” he says. “Now, I’m extremely proud of what I’ve accomplished with my research. I worked twice as hard to produce something I’m truly proud of. I’ve also realised that I really, really love Stellenbosch University. I enjoy working with students and helping them on their journeys of progression.”
Nine months after his accident, Jurgens went to visit all seven people who were instrumental in his survival to personally thank them. “I owe everything to these highly skilled and passionate people who came into my life at exactly the right time.” His experience has also given him a new appreciation for mental wellness. “Occupational therapists, psychologists and supportive physiotherapists – they brought me back to life. Looking after your inner person is as important as eating healthy or exercising.”
Jurgens plans to send each of them a graduation photo in his red doctoral gown as a small token of his gratitude.
Although he misses riding his motorcycle, he has promised his wife never to get on a motorcycle again. “She told me: ‘If you ever touch a motorcycle again, I’m divorcing you!'” Jurgens laughs. “But seriously, I owe her a very, very big debt of gratitude. She’s always been excited to travel internationally whereas I prefer exploring South Africa. Next year I’m taking her and the kids on a holiday overseas. They deserve to be spoilt after the turmoil of the past two years.”
Photo:Dr Chris Jurgens, together with his wife, Alet, and two daughters.
(Photographer: Stefan Els)
