The loss of my arm gave me a second chance at life
Her disability has not stopped her from becoming a Protea bowler
The 70-year-old Jill Pearson may only have one arm, but she has not allowed that to keep her down for long.
“Although I did not take the amputation of my arm very well, and wallowed in self-pity for a while, I just decided that I could not let this keep me down,” she said.
She added that she lost her arm 13 years ago, after being misdiagnosed with arthritis and gout, and said, “I have always been healthy and very active – I have participated in every sport you could think of. But, in 2005 I suddenly started experiencing excruciating pain in my right arm, which, after countless doctor’s visits, turned out to be blood clots resulting from a condition called right-sided aortic arch.
I was eventually operated on, and the blood clots were removed, but the operation was not successful, and they amputated my arm just below my elbow.
“After the first amputation, she continued experiencing pain, and when she visited the emergency room, it was discovered that the wound had turned septic, and the decision was made to amputate the rest of her arm – which was done over a period of five months.
It was a year after she had lost her arm, that her life changed once again. She explained, “My husband took me to the Discovery Bowling Club after he was invited to dinner by one of his clients. The night ended with me being talked into taking up bowling, and before I left, I had completed all the necessary forms and was assigned a coach!
“After a fair amount of coaching (and physiotherapy to help curb the pain) Jill played in her first novice tournament in 2008, and managed to win her first trophy. “After that victory, I was approached by Brian Sneag (an optometrist from Krugersdorp) who asked me if I would like to join the disability team. I immediately agreed, and at my first national tournament, I won a bronze medal,” she said.
She has competed in the National Disability Tournament every year since then, but her highlight was when she had received her Protea colours in 2011, and participated in the World Games. “Even though I did not bring home a medal, it was an amazing experience to be able to compete against players from 15 other countries,” said Jill.
For Jill, bowling is not just a sport, it is a camaraderie, and she explained, “When I go bowling, I do not only play to win, I go there to make new friends and spend time with old friends.”Jill said that her focus at the moment is to promote bowls and try to recruit more members for the Discovery Bowling Club, which includes both able-bodied and disabled players. “I would love to see more disabled bowlers join our club, and am also prepared to help with coaching,” she said.
She added that it makes her very proud when she looks at everything she has achieved, and said, “It reminds me that I am better than I used to be, and every day I wake up, motivated by the knowledge that I can become better still, and that I have so much more that I want to achieve. My intention is to keep on playing well into my 90s!”
But, there is one minor problem with this ambition of hers, and she explained, “Even though I love bowls and want to keep on competing, it is becoming more difficult to make ends meet, especially with the economy being the way it is. When we compete at the National Disability Tournament, we have to pay for everything ourselves. I would love to see more people getting involved, and assist us with either donations or sponsorship,” she said.
Jill concluded by saying, “If there is anyone that would like to join our club, or perhaps help with financial aid, please contact me on 083 449 6280 or 011 955 2222.”
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