Vetnuus | November 2024 27 Memoirs by Dr Ian du Toit Class of 1959 As I looked at the picture of the beautiful Beau Visser displayed in the death column of the local newspaper, I was taken back to the 1950s when I met her for the first time. Rudolph Visser was our house chairman and Beau was the Primaria of Asterhof. The two met as a result of formal hostel interactions, fell in love, married and remained together until about 10 years ago when Rudolf passed away. Our lives touched from time to time after we qualified and I remember a visit to Piketberg when I was with the vet lab in Stellenbosch, to investigate the deaths of several cattle. There was a property on top of Piketberg with the largest oak plantation in South Africa, and there had been a severe storm. It turned out that the animals had eaten too much of the acorns that had blown down as a result of the storm and were suffering from acorn poisoning. A hearty “boere” lunch was served by Beau with pleasant kameradery, when we got back to Piketberg Seeing her photo took me back again to those heady days when as a student I had the sense of excited expectation of qualifying to become a veterinarian. From the moment that I was hit by the thought of becoming a vet, it had become an absolute passion to me. I think back to the day when we had finished our final exams and the 22 of us were sitting outside the faculty building waiting for the staff meeting where they would decide who had passed. The door finally opened and the staff filed out and one walked up to me and stuck out his hand and said, “Welcome to the veterinary profession”. That moment has remained with me as a beacon for the last 60+ years. After participating in this profession for more than 50 years I have never regretted the decision I took when I was in standard 9 to become a vet, for one moment. Yes, there have been difficult times, there have been sad times, but there have also been plenty of fulfilling and rewarding times that I have experienced. I feel privileged that I have been able at moments of deep grief to be able to comfort and sustain owners who have had bad news or whose pets have died. It saddens me deeply to read of the many colleagues who are struggling psychologically and emotionally with the rigours of this wonderful profession. I thought I would write this letter to encourage anyone who is struggling to look up and appreciate what a unique and magnificent profession that we have the privilege of serving. There is certainly much help for those who find themselves in a hopeless situation and I encourage them to seek help and comfort from outside of themselves. For me, my Christian faith is the mainstay of my hope and stability as I have the privilege of caring for my beautiful wife Emily, as she has suffered in the throes of Alzheimer’s for the past 12 years. I regard it as a special gift that I have been given to be able to use the experience and training I’ve had to undertake this task. The Bible speaks of mankind being like grass,one moment it is green and the next moment it is dry and turns into chaff. Life speeds past at an enormous rate, so make use of every moment. Get over yourself and your cares and look at every opportunity you may receive to make a difference in someone else’s life. Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven not on earth. v Miss Piggy, surrounded by onlookers, shaded from the fierce morning sun by her frilly umbrella Miss Piggy driving – “Was daar plek, dan het hy” on the front of the float « « «
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