VN January 2023

Vetnuus | Januarie 2023 26 Ramoni Joubert Saying goodbye to Ramoni “Noenie” Joubert When thinking of Noenie, I can’t help but think of the poem by Tyler Knott Gregson: I didn’t know how else to say it, so I said she made me More. More alive, more aware, passionate, and calm. Perhaps the best we can do for those we love is to make them. More, always so much more than they ever thought possible. This is exactly what Noenie did with everyone around her. She made us “more”. Noenie was an incredibly driven and diverse woman. One minute she would be walking the runways in New York. The next, she’d be riding a horse across the Okavango Delta. A minute later, you’d find her expertly shooting a lion with a tranquiliser dart to transfer it to a different game camp. She had an incredibly sweet, caring and gentle soul. She had a way about her that demanded respect while exuding confidence and positivity. She had a light from within that had an impact on every single person that came across her path. Her strong personality, hilarious sense of humour, and caring heart made doing this thing called ‘life’ with her a breeze. She had a curiosity within her about the world. It proved incredibly valuable with her studies, relationships, and ultimately her little furry “clients”. Becoming a vet had been a dream of Noenie’s since she was a child. Absolutely nothing could stand in the way of this fierce little blonde, blue-eyed girl realising her dream. Her love for animals has absolutely infected friends, colleagues and family members alike to always do and be better. Or as it says in the poem to be “more”. Remembering Noenie, I cannot help but think of everything that she still could have become. She was, and will remain, made up of possibilities. My heart goes out to every human and animal who never got to know this incredibly special soul. They missed out on so much. v