From wheel chair bound to FIREd up for life – the story of Dawie Viljoen
Susan and Dawie Viljoen became part of the FIRE Family back in 2022, and since then, they’ve been a blessing to many—offering support, encouragement, and prayer as dedicated Alongsiders for the FIRE for Life initiative.
But their journey started from a place of real struggle. Before discovering FIRE, Dawie was in a very difficult place with his health. He was battling severe Type 2 Diabetes, relying on a whopping 165 units of insulin every single day. His kidneys were failing, painful diabetic sores covered his feet, and things got so bad that doctors had to amputate his little toe. Dawie was also extremely overweight, unable to move on his own, and needed a wheelchair to get around.
Three years ago, feeling desperate for change, Susan and Dawie turned to prayer, asking for a way out of this downward spiral. That’s when their friend Danilla Pretorius—also part of the FIRE Family—stepped in and introduced them to the FIRE programme, sharing how it had helped others heal from diabetes.
They took a leap of faith, joined the programme, embraced a new lifestyle, and never looked back.
With careful supervision from the FIRE doctors, Dawie began to heal. Bit by bit, he regained his metabolic health and, unbelievably, reduced his insulin from 165 units a day to zero. Yes—zero! And even without insulin, his daily blood sugar levels now stay between 5.5 and 6.5 mmol/l (coming down from a previous 27 mmol/l).
The transformation was remarkable. In just a few months, Dawie lost 37 kg. And now, three years later, he’s shed an incredible 60 kg in total—that’s like losing an entire person!
Even more amazing was how his body began to heal itself. The diabetic sores that once plagued his feet started healing rapidly. The nurse who cared for his wounds was in awe—she said she’d never seen anything like it in all her years of practice.
Best of all, Dawie no longer needs a wheelchair. He’s up and walking again, regaining not just his health, but his independence and joy for life.
As Susan beautifully put it:
“We can only thank God for hearing our prayers and bringing us in contact with the FIRE Programme so that Dawie could be healed.”
