South African writer and actor, Robert Fridjhon, had a stroke on 1st August 2017. He was on his way home from an interview about his most recent production, My Name is Asher Leve, which was showcasing at the Monte Casino Teatro. Friends in the industry are rallying to assist with medical expenses, and while the SOS Charity Fund, a DWR Distribution initiative, has donated R10 000 towards the cause, any additional help will go a long way.
According to fellow artist, Ashleigh Harvey, Organizer of the fund Robert’s Recovery which is on the Generosity by Indiegogo platform, the stroke was major and left Rob paralyzed on his left-hand side.
“The stroke itself has affected a large area of his brain and he is in need of rehabilitation,” said Ashleigh. “Like many performers, Rob is not on medical aid, and the funds raised will go towards occupational therapy, speech and language therapy and physiotherapy.”
Rob is the genius mind behind plays like Twitch, Bohemian Rhapsody and Sherlock Holmes and The Curse of the Queen’s Diamond. He also performed in the hit shows, Pythonesque and more recently, The Play That Goes Wrong. He has worked side by side with his fiancée, Bronwyn, for the past eight years.
On a personal side, Rob’s love for animals led him to the FreeMe Wildlife Centre where he spent time rehabilitating and tending to injured animals. From there he volunteered at the Rhino and Lion Park this time rehabilitating lions, Ruby and TJ. This was enormously rewarding, terrifying and as Rob would tell you, educational in that he now knows that the colour of adrenaline is brown. It was also there that he cared for the lion cub, Mala, who like Rob at this stage, was unable to walk. Time spent with the animals was sometimes heartbreaking. However, his commitment to the upliftment and wellbeing of wild animals in need is what kept Rob resolute.
“When our colleague, Michael Broderick, let us know about Rob’s plight and after chatting to Brian Hill from Montecasino Teatro, I knew we had to assist,” said Duncan Riley of DWR Distribution, who established the SOS Charity Fund. “The SOS donated R10 000, but when considering the therapy costs you realize that a lot more will be needed and greatly appreciated. With this sad incident, I was reminded that if it weren’t for the actors and performers on stage, I wouldn’t have the career that I so love.”
Any donations can be made by following this link: https://www.generosity.com/projects/robert-s-recovery/payments/new
