Jan’s Story

Jan’s Story

67-year-old Jan has called Jakkalsvlei farm in Clanwilliam home for the past 40 years.

A quiet, humble man, Jan faced one of the most difficult chapters of his life when his beloved wife passed away. The grief weighed heavily on him, emotionally and physically.

“I noticed a big mass growing on my right hip, and the pain just kept getting worse,” Jan explains. But, like many in rural farming communities, access to medical care was not always easy, and Jan quietly endured the discomfort, not knowing what it could be.

Everything changed the day the Pebbles Project Driscoll’s Mobile Health Clinic visited the farm. The clinic nurse examined Jan and immediately identified the mass as a lipoma, a benign tumour that, while not life-threatening, was causing him significant pain. Recognising the urgency of his situation, she acted swiftly, phoning the hospital in Clanwilliam and arranging for Jan to have surgery to remove it.

After the procedure, Jan’s health began to improve. “I’m doing much better now,” he says. “There’s still a little pain and I sometimes struggle to sleep, but the clinic nurse is helping me manage it. I can truly say, the [Pebbles Project Driscoll’s Mobile Health Clinic] team do amazing work.”

More than just medical support, Jan says the Driscoll’s Mobile Health Clinic has brought him peace of mind and a renewed sense of care. “It makes me happy when the Pebbles Project clinic team comes to visit. They always take such good care of me. I feel safe in their hands.”

Jan’s story is a powerful reminder of the difference compassionate healthcare can make, especially in remote farming communities. Thanks to the dedicated Driscoll’s Mobile Health Clinic team, Jan no longer suffers in silence, but walks his path of healing with dignity and support.

*This story captures a period in the beneficiary’s journey during their involvement with Pebbles Project and reflects their circumstances at the time it was written.