Friends for life, sometimes need support to get through the tough times. Please support an amazing person. It means alot.

In January, I spent a month in South Africa reconnecting with my family and catching up with old school friends I hadn’t seen in over 30 years. Being back with them was incredibly special. So much has happened in all our lives, and it really makes you proud to see where people are now.

While I was there, I heard the deeply distressing news about my close friend Nicole and her son James. James was involved in a horrific motorbike accident over Christmas and nearly lost his life. He underwent emergency surgery to repair a ruptured bladder, which saved him, but he also suffered multiple broken bones in his legs and feet. He cannot walk and, despite the seriousness of his injuries, he has since been sent home with no further treatment. It is now February, and the accident happened in December.

Sadly, the medical system in South Africa is under immense strain, and James urgently needs further care, surgery, and rehabilitation. Nicole and her family are desperate for help.

Nicole has been through more than most. She has already suffered the devastating loss of a partner to suicide, and this latest trauma has placed an enormous emotional and financial burden on her and her family. It feels deeply unfair that someone so genuine and kind continues to face such hardship.

I am doing this out of genuine care and concern. Nicole is not just a friend — she is someone I, along with many of our school friends, have known since we were young. We are rallying together to help her and James.