LEGENDARY rugby star Joost van der Westhuizen, who is suffering from motor neurone disease, is in a critical condition and has been placed full time on an oxygen machine to survive.
The former Springbok hero, who lifted the Rugby World Cup in front of new South African president Nelson Mandela in 1995, was diagnosed with the terminal illness in 2011.
The scrum-half’s brother Pieter told Huisgenoot newspaper:”It’s incredibly tough. He’s not doing well. But he keeps on fighting”.
It had been reported that the Southa African was reliant on oxygen but he has since stated on Twitter, that isn’t the case.
He said that his brother’s condition had worsened and that they had kept the news quiet for the sake of his children Jordan, 12, and Kylie, 10.
He split from singer wife Amor Vittone in 2008 after a sex tape and cocaine scandal.
Van der Westheuizen was inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame in 2007 and captained his country at the 1999 Rugby World Cup. He is also in the top ten most capped players for South Africa with 89 appearances, scoring 38 tries during that time.
In recent years the once powerful and super fit star had been confined to a wheelchair a struggled with speech and lost almost all power in his arms and was dependent on carers.
Van der Westhuizen lives with his best friend David Thorpe in Johannesburg who is thought to be at his bedside where friends say his condition is critical.
Earlier this week it was reported the SA Department of Health had joined forces with Van der Westhuizen in launching a motor neurone disease clinic at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital.
Health chief Qedani Mahlangu was to officially open the Joost van der Westhuizen Centre for Neurodegeneration at the hospital this week but it has been postponed after the stars condition dramatically worsened.
Former Springbok Toks van der Linde and TV presenter said on his Facebook page of his close friend: “In your prayers please think of the legend tonight”.
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