Latest news with #familyReunion
News24
08-07-2025
- Sport
- News24
Finding Luigi: Homeless Bok superfan's family reported him missing, then saw him on News24
Homeless Springboks fan Alan Strydom, aka Luigi, shot to fame this month when Johan Kotze decided to take him to the Springboks vs Barbarians game in Cape Town. It has since emerged that his family has been looking for him since February. His sister, Charmelle, said the family saw News24's article via its WhatsApp channel and couldn't believe it was him. When Johan Kotze took a homeless man to watch the Springboks play in Cape Town, he didn't know the kind gesture could reunite the man with his long-lost family. After the story of Kotze and Alan Strydom, nicknamed Luigi, went public, the homeless man's family came forward. The family is based in Gqeberha and haven't seen Strydom since February… until they saw his face in an article on News24's WhatsApp channel last week. Kotze and Strydom captured the nation's hearts last week after Johan offered his spare Springboks ticket to Alan, who was preparing to sleep under the circle close to DHL Stadium at the time. The pair began chatting and Kotze learnt that he was an avid rugby fan. Moved by his story, Kotze decided to take him along. Now a reunion for the Strydom family is on the cards. 'As a family, we are overwhelmed with gratitude and joy after discovering that our beloved brother, Alan Strydom, was spotted at the Springboks game at Green Point Stadium in Cape Town,' his sister Charmelle said in a letter to News24. 'Imagine our surprise and relief when we stumbled upon an article featuring Alan, accompanied by Johan Kotze, enjoying the rugby match. The article highlighted Johan's humanitarian act of taking a homeless man to the game, unaware that the man in question was our brother.' Alan, a psychiatric patient at Fort England Psychiatric Institution in Makhanda, has been missing since 15 February 2025. 'We were beside ourselves with worry, unsure of his whereabouts or well-being. Our mother's health deteriorated rapidly since Alan went missing,' Charmelle continued. According to the family, the hospital's programmes have been instrumental in helping him manage his condition, teaching him valuable coping mechanisms. 'He also became a facilitator of these programmes at Fort England hospital, helping others with the same problems as his. 'However, he still needs to take his medication and report back to the hospital from time to time. He defaulted on his leave from hospital when he left home without informing anyone of his whereabouts.' Supplied by Charmelle Oliveira News24 spent three nights last week searching for Strydom at known homeless spots on the Atlantic Seaboard, with no success. Only one person knew him but couldn't say where he was. Kotze, of Riebeek West, also returned to Cape Town last week to try and find his new friend, with no success either. He also appeared on SABC's Expresso show on Monday to relay the inspiring story from the Barbarians game. In keeping with the ripple effect of kindness emanating from this story, a viewer of the show, Aphiwe Nsimbi, offered to give Charmelle his ticket to the Springboks match against Italy in Gqeberha this coming Saturday, 12 July, because he is no longer able to make it. News24 would like to reunite the family and Kotze with Strydom. If you have any leads on how to contact Strydom, please reach out to or WhatsApp 083 681 5927. 'If this is the ending to the story to reunite the family with Luigi, I will be so, so happy. Amen,' said Kotze. Left with the last word, Charmelle thanked Johan again for his kindness and generosity, hopeful that his compassion would help their brother in more ways than one. She said: Taking Alan to the Springboks game was an incredible experience for him, and we're grateful for the positive impact it had on his well-being. 'We're thrilled that Johan's actions brought a smile to Alan's face and hope that this experience will have a lasting positive effect on his life. Our father, who died in 2018, was the one who instilled the love for rugby in us as his children. 'Once again, we thank Johan Kotze for being a true 'good Samaritan' and making a difference in our brother's life. We hope that his selfless act will inspire others to pay it forward and make a positive impact on those around them.'
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Aussie council's incredible find in landfill: 'Talk about a stroke of luck'
An Aussie family mourning the loss of their beloved patriarch has been reunited with his "priceless" war medals after they were accidentally thrown out and taken to a tip. Thanks to the efforts of a keen-eyed council worker who made the incredible discovery among the mountains of rubbish, the sentimental medals have now made it home. Lockyer Valley Regional Council, in Queensland's southeast, revealed the amazing outcome on Monday, sharing with the local community that the medals had been found. "Talk about a stroke of luck," the council said. "Fate intervened last week when an eagle-eyed council worker made a needle-in-the-haystack discovery at Gatton Landfill. "Tim, one of council's heavy machinery operators, was working at the facility when an unusual container caught his eye in a pile of rubbish, prompting him to take a closer look," the council continued. "Opening it up, he was startled to find four official war medals inside and immediately reported the surprise find to his supervisor." After posting about the find on social media, the post quickly attracted thousands of responses from Aussies around the country, including the daughter of the Aussie digger who had been awarded the medals. "I found out that a heap of my deceased dad's stuff was taken to the Gatton dump the week before," she said, explaining that when she visited the tip to ask about the items, she was told they were likely buried. The woman, who did not respond to Yahoo's request for further comment, didn't explain exactly how her father's belongings were accidentally taken to the tip, but made it clear how devastated she was by the loss, and just how grateful she is to have the medals returned. Aussie's 'incredible' 500-year-old discovery hidden behind invasive weed Council's innovative solution to quiet crisis in Aussie suburbs Incredible discovery centimetres from train tracks "They were in an old hexagon chocolate tin with my dad's favourite black Bundy rum polo shirt, and a couple of yellow post-it notes with the last shopping lists he gave me. Sounds silly to have them like that, but it was sentimental to me," she wrote. "He was the best man in the world. I am very grateful to have his medals back, and they are now with my mum." In Australia, war medals are typically held by veterans who served in the military or by their families who keep them as cherished mementos of a loved one's service. These medals may have been awarded for participation in major conflicts such as World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, or more recent deployments in the Middle East. For many Australians, they carry emotional and historical significance, representing personal sacrifice, national service and family pride. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
The National
04-06-2025
- General
- The National
Gaza boy's bone marrow transplant brings family together in UAE
Twelve-year-old Oday Jedba's rare immune disorder led to his evacuation from Gaza to the UAE, where a bone marrow transplant from his sister saved his life and reunited his family after months of separation.
The Independent
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Chris Eubank Sr reveals secret plan to be with his son last weekend
Chris Eubank Sr has revealed the secret plan behind his surprise appearance on Saturday before his son's fight against Conor Benn. The elder Eubank, speaking on his YouTube channel 'Call Chris Eubank', said that he had spoken on the phone with his estranged son the night before the match after a period of had been reported widely in the runup to the match, which saw the sons of Eubank Sr and his arch-rival Nigel Benn meet in the ring, that the two Eubanks were not speaking. However, Eubank Sr now says that he was always going to be at the fight, underlined by his contacting his son the night before. Eubank Sr said: 'At 20.10 on Friday night, I sent him a message. The message said, 'Call me when you're in private, please.' At maybe 22.10, I got a call back.' He continued: 'Junior called me and said, 'I didn't want to call because I don't want to hear anything negative.' I said, 'Where are you?'' How the Eubanks made up before the Conor Benn fight Eubank Sr said then that he went in disguise to his son's hotel, sneaking past the world's media in order so that the pair could talk. He said: 'We went up to the room, and we sat and spoke. My words to him were: 'What do you want me to do, son? This is your show, your gig.'' According to his father, Eubank Jr replied that many elements of the ringwalk would have to be adjusted, with only the planned orchestra remaining. There was a palpable roar from the crowd when Eubank Sr first appeared on screen on Saturday, exiting the car with his son at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. As the car door swung open, he appeared with a grin on his face. The commentators said that it may have been the moment of the year in boxing. Once in the ring, despite their once-intense rivalry, the senior Eubank and Benn hugged and smiled as their sons prepared to face each other. Who designed Chris Eubank Sr's coat? The former world champion also revealed that the distinctive dark-brown leather coat he wore on the night had been gifted to him twenty-five years before by Vivienne Westwood. She had given him the coat, he said, after he modelled for her in Milan at some point in the late 1990s. He continued: 'That's a very special coat, not just because of who gave it to me, but of how and why it was given to me. She said to me, 'I can't give it to you because it's my husband's. But then she surprised me when I was leaving by giving it to me.' The coat, he said, had royal ties. Eubank, it seems, considers himself to be a king. 'If you go back to the late 1800s,' he explained, 'you will find it was the Tsars or kings who wore this type of garment. Was it an accident that I happened to be wearing a king's cloak?'
The Independent
22-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Mahmoud Khalil permitted to hold newborn son for the first time despite objections from government
Detained Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil was allowed to hold his one-month-old son for the first time Thursday after a federal judge blocked the Trump administration's efforts to keep the father and infant separated by a plexiglass barrier. The visit came ahead of a scheduled immigration hearing for Khalil, a legal permanent resident and Columbia University graduate who has been detained in a Louisiana jail since March 8. He was first person to be arrested under President Donald Trump's promised crackdown on protesters against the war in Gaza and is one of the few who has remained in custody as his case winds its way through both immigration and federal court. His request to attend his son's April 21 birth was denied last month by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The question of whether Khalil would be permitted to hold his newborn child or forced to meet him through a barrier had sparked days of legal fighting, triggering claims by Khalil's attorneys that he is being subject to political retaliation by the government. On Wednesday night, a federal judge in New Jersey, Michael Farbiarz, intervened, allowing the meeting to go forward Thursday morning, according to Khalil's attorneys. The judge's order came after federal officials said this week they would oppose his attorney's effort to secure what's known as 'contact visit' between Khalil, his wife Noor Abdalla and their son Deen. Instead, they said Khalil could be allowed a 'non-contact' visit, meaning he would be separated from his wife and son by a plastic divider and not allowed to touch them. 'Granting Khalil this relief of family visitation would effectively grant him a privilege that no other detainee receives,' Justice Department officials wrote in a court filing on Wednesday. 'Allowing Dr. Abdalla and a newborn to attend a legal meeting would turn a legal visitation into a family one.' Brian Acuna, acting director of the ICE field office in New Orleans, said in an accompanying affidavit that it would be 'unsafe to allow Mr. Khalil's wife and newborn child into a secured part of the facility.' In their own legal filings, Khalil's attorneys described the government's refusal to grant the visit as 'further evidence of the retaliatory motive behind Mr. Khalil's arrest and faraway detention,' adding that his wife and son were 'the farthest thing from a security risk.' They noted that Abdalla had traveled nearly 1,500 miles (2,400 kilometers) to the remote detention center in hopes of introducing their son to his father. 'This is not just heartless,' Abdalla said of the government's position. 'It is deliberate violence, the calculated cruelty of a government that tears families apart without remorse. And I cannot ignore the echoes of this pain in the stories of Palestinian families, torn apart by Israeli military prisons and bombs, denied dignity, denied life.' Farbiarz is currently considering Khalil's petition for release as he appeals a Louisiana immigration judge's ruling that he can be deported from the country. Federal authorities have not accused Khalil of a crime, but have sought to deport him on the basis that his prominent role in protests against Israel's war in Gaza may have undermined U.S. foreign policy interests. Khalil is scheduled to appear before that immigration judge, Jamee Comans, for a routine hearing on Thursday. Attorneys for Khalil said it was unclear whether the baby would be permitted to attend the hearing.
