How Crypto Saved My Life!

Three weeks ago, the world as I knew it was changed forever.  

To set the scene let’s take you back several months to July 2017 when we received a WhatsApp from my brother, P, stating that he’d just bought his first bitcoin.  What transude was daily photos of strange graphs,  anecdotes of wealth accrual, pictures of Lambo’s and the ever constant nagging reminders for us to get on board and fly rocket ships to the moon with him.   

Finally, in December he called. “Mik, I’m flying up to see you - I need to show you how Bitcoin works, you need to start trading.  You can’t miss out on this.”  The following morning he arrived on our doorstep with no suitcase, just his laptop backpack and a tired grin.  “We’ve got twenty four hours to get all this intel into you, I’m flying back to Cape Town in the morning.” 

And then the real work started...  An epic mind dump of monumental proportions:  The history of Blockchain, countless diagrams, graphs, crypto terminology, You Tube Tutorials, exchange registrations, blog reviews, Whales, Lambo’s, Moons, Noobs, Hodl, funny memes , some chap called Macafree or Macaroon, scams, pumps and dumps and mining.  

So it went on and on and on until eventually I stopped him and said. “I have to go and pick up a tub of honey from the nearby farm - come with us and stop talking!”  

Poor P - his Bitcoin addiction was so evident - he looked like he was about to have an aneurysm at being temporarily silenced but reluctantly agreed and we loaded him and my little 5 year old son - Maximus the Gladiator, into the car.

P literally had his leg tapping all the way there and all the way back, he was like a finely wound spring coil.  Once back inside our home he rushed over to his laptop and started checking graphs and figures, then demanded we continue...  

Now I want say that this was the exact moment he brought out Blockfolio and showed me his complete portfolio and well - Eureka!  Six months of careful trading had made my brother a very rich man.  There it was clear to see and suddenly it all made perfect sense.... Why the heck hadn’t he initially started with that little App demo I’ll never know.  He had me at 1000% Growth.

In awe, I whispered: “Holy Shit P - do you know what this means?”  And we both looked at The Gladiator who was now grinning quietly at us from his perch on the garden swing.... 

Deep Breath:  My beautiful, incredible, amazing, little boy had a Neo-Natal stroke (in-utero) which has  left him with cerebral palsy, apraxia, aphasia, drug resistant epilepsy and various other diagnosis all of which do not define him, but certainly challenge him on a daily basis.  

He is everything that is right in this world; determined, funny, tenacious, persistent, loving, unstoppable and just plain awesome.   My husband (aka The Legend) and I are his biggest fans, his strongest supporters, his greatest advocates and his proudest parents.  Our family motto is ‘Happy 3 we Be!’, he truly completes us.

On the 22nd February 2012 , baby Gladiator was discharged from the NICU and we were told we could take him home.  When The Legend asked the Doctors what the long term prognosis would be (this after being shown the most horrific MRI scan of our Sons little brain) we were told/asked/informed:  “How long is a piece of string!”    (Insert ‘WTF’ right here!)

We researched stroke recovery in infants online and so the therapy journey began, Occupational therapy, physiotherapy, chiropractors , Speech, hippo-therapy, aqua therapy, argumentative assistive communication therapy.  Everything we could do to facilitate his recovery and give him the very best chance in life was pursued.

We decided I would give up my career to focus on our new adventure.....  and as he grew older , despite insurmountable odds, that piece of string we were initially told about grew longer and longer and this little miracle of ours has blossomed.  

Their is a dark side to being a special needs parent, it’s lonely, completely isolating, it’s hard work.  Some days you watch your child suffer and you want to punch the Universe in the Gut for being so unfair.  Your life becomes one dimensional/polarized on milestones and progress reports, fighting with medical aids and you learn to hate the words normal and mainstream because that’s not part of your journey..... What is normal anyway?

Then there are the days where you watch your child master a simple skill after weeks of practice and see him beam with absolute pride in the accomplishment. Those moments are precious and celebrated with great enthusiasm.   

Nothing is ever taken for granted, nothing is guaranteed. The constant worrying about his health, happiness, future, short and long term prospects, inclusion and acceptance by society, tolerance of his peers towards his handicaps are often overwhelming.  

So much so that in the darkest hours of the night - at ones most vulnerable - there I’d lie in bed thinking,  do I have the strength to continue this exhausting journey with no rainbows in sight and a heart that literally aches with sadness and fear for him.

Enter the crypto world..... this amazing place of innovation, collaboration, speed, possibility, dreams, hopes and fantastic camaraderie.  Where people share information freely, are generous with their skills, are willing to take the time to explain things and offering encouragement.  Where sarcasm reigns supreme, wit is fast and cutting, the humor is dark - often surreal, criticism is harsh, where wins are celebrated and losses are commiserated,  where diversity in all areas is welcome and the overall feeling is of sharing an amazing journey within a global community.  

It’s been a fantastic distraction....

What a fabulously insane several weeks, the learning curve has been steep, opportunities present themselves at every turn on this wild blockchain ride  - to who the hell knows where!

When I look at My little Gladiator, it’s not Lambo’s I see.  It’s an opportunity to provide security for his uncertain future, its the potential possibility of opening that little Special Needs School in our Village for him and children like him to attend and thrive.  

It’s the hope that if managed correctly he’ll never be a burden to society and ensure a quality life, filled his happiness and contentment....  

The Crytpo Dream, the Motivation behind the investments and trading are different for every one of us.... It’s incredible to be afforded an opportunity like this.  

For me - it’s presented a reason to get excited again.....to dream again, to see rainbows in our future...regardless of the outcome , it’s been a welcomed escape into a new world of possibilities......

Thank you for reading our story....  it’s been wonderful sharing....