Some caregivers helped, others were cruel

“To most people, I resembled a pot plant, to be given water and left in a corner,” he said. “Most carers looking after children like me were good, some were utterly callous.” Then one day, a caregiver entered his life and helped bring him back to the world. The caregiver’s name was Virna van der Walt. After studying Pistorius, she realized that his gazes, smiles, nods and gestures might be communicative rather than just random. His life was forever changed on the day that he was able to use his twitches and smiles to respond to van der Walt’s questions. He was able to inform her that he knew his brother had bronchitis. The family was stunned. It was 2001, and their son was now 25.