Stormers help put smile on the face of brave Vihano, 7
“IT IS amazing to know that the rugby team I support have done their part in supporting my son as well.”
These were the words of Hercules Hendricks, proud father of sevenyear-old Vihano Bester, who underwent reconstructive surgery at the age of three.
Yesterday, DHL Stormers teammates Seabelo Senatla and Jaco Coetzee paid a surprise visit to Oklahoma Street Primary School where Vihano is a Grade 1 pupil.
In 1976, the Western Province rugby team achieved the unthinkable at a packed Newlands stadium when they beat the touring All Blacks 12-11.
Now, 42 years later, Vihano’s day was brightened as some heroes of today’s DHL Stormers visited his school.
Through the Vodacom Tries for Smiles campaign, the Vodacom Foundation donated R3000 for every try scored by a South African team in this year’s Vodacom Super Rugby competition to the Smile Foundation.
The funds raised help the foundation to perform corrective operations on children born with facial anomalies. This gives children such as Vihano, who endured facial reconstructive surgery for hours, a smile.
Hercules said he was overwhelmed by the support from the Smile Foundation and the #Tries4Smiles campaign.
“This is an amazing moment for us as a family. Vihano was really brave when he underwent his three surgeries. When he was admitted to hospital he would make jokes and play in the corridors.
“Since then he has recovered really well, and this could only have been possible through the great support system he has. We are really happy with him here today,” Hendricks said.
Vihano’s grandmother, Maria Hendricks, said he had been in her care since he was three.
“He is such a pleasant boy. He came to me one day and said ‘Ouma, I also want to play sports like the other kids’, but he understands that he needs to be careful to avoid any rough sports which could cause him injury,” she said.