Donations for Cape Town train hero Darryn August continue to flood in as he recovers in hospital.

August, 27, fractured his spine in two places when he was tossed from a train and hit a tree while trying to protect female passengers from being robbed on a Metrorail train he was travelling on last week. August said he used himself as a decoy when a group of between five and eight men started robbing people.

He was admitted to the Tygerberg Hospital where he underwent surgery and was due to start with physiotherapy on Tuesday.

He said he was doing well despite being in “so much pain”.

His heroic act has seen many donating money for his recovery, with a new target of R500 000 after the initial R50 000 target was surpassed on the first day of the fundraiser.

The fund, Everest for August, was started by August’s cousin Edwin Brooks and a friend, Graeme Kuys. In return, Kuys will be cycling up to the Steenbras viewpoint, on May 14, 36 times – which works out to the same height as Mount Everest.

Brooks said the money will go towards August’s treatment and also help him financially as he will be out of work while recovering.

“We are totally in awe and surprised. We did not imagine this happening in such a short space of time at all. Darryn cries every time we tell him of the target we have reached,” Brooks said.

He added that another friend of his, Steven Brown in the UK, also started a fun called Run4Darryn.

Brown will be running a half-marathon without any training and has raised over R500.

Darryn’s brother, Bernard August said his brother was doing well and they were overwhelmed by every cent people had for his brother.

“He is doing much better and he is able to lay on his side now. He wasn’t able to before, so there is improvement.”

“He can feel his legs, but he can’t move them yet. I have been rubbing and massaging his legs on a daily basis. He still can’t move anything from the abdomen down. But I normally do it from knees down and he can feel there. We hope physio will come through for him.”

Bernard said the incident has brought him and his brother closer.

“We never prayed together and now I can lay at his feet and we pray. Travelling to him daily costs money but I have to be there. I would even put on jogging shoes and run to him.”

By Wednesday morning, R 382 048.41 was raised – with the tally still rising.

[Source: Cape Argus]