When Dr Sade Hendricks (35) graduates with her MMed degree in Anaesthesiology, it will mark not only a major career goal in her life, but also a triumph over real adversity.

Mere weeks before writing her final exit exam, Hendricks, who hails from Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth), lost her partner and father to her daughter, Byron Wyngard, to Covid-19 in May last year.

Despite being left alone as a single mother, she wrote her exam in July and was invited to the oral exam, which she passed too.

Professor Sean Chetty, head of the Department of Anaesthesiology and Critical Care, paid warm tribute to Hendricks's resilience in overcoming her tragic situation and excelling in her studies.

Besides passing the written and oral exams, Hendricks had to quickly recalibrate her MMed research which fell apart because of the pandemic. At the height of her ordeal, she embarked on a new project, completed her degree and registered as a specialist.

“Despite all the obstacles placed in front of her, Dr Hendricks persevered. She is a real inspiration to other young women in a similar situation," Chetty said.

When she graduates, Hendricks, who moved back to Gqeberha last November, will have her parents, Carol and Vernon Hendricks, who have been pillars of support for her and her two-and-a-half year old daughter, Isabella (Bella), cheering her on.

The youngest of three sisters, she was born and schooled in Gqeberha and studied Medicine at the University of Cape Town. She did her community service at a small hospital in Kariega (formerly Uitenhage) in the Eastern Cape, where she gained experience in anaesthesiology.

She decided then that she wanted to specialise in anaesthesiology and was accepted into the MMed training programme at Tygerberg Hospital in 2017. 

In 2018 while working at Tygerberg, she met Wyngard, who was back in Cape Town after playing country cricket in England. “He had coached and played cricket for a local club before moving to England. He was due to return to England, but then Covid-19 hit."

Hendricks fell pregnant in 2019 and Isabella was born in October that year. She and Wyngard lived together in Plattekloof and he stayed at home with Isabella while Hendricks carried on working.

In May 2021, Hendricks, Wyngard, and their daughter Isabella, contracted Covid-19, and Wyngard had to be admitted to hospital. “He went into hospital on Mother's Day (Sunday 9 May), and was moved into ICU on 25 May. His condition worsened during that week.

“I visited him on the Monday and played him a video of Isabella and some voice notes from friends and family. On the Wednesday his condition worsened and he passed away on the Thursday. He was only 32."

Hendricks described Wyngard as a “sporty, social" person. “He loved going out, braaiing and cooking. He adored his daughter."

He died four weeks before Hendricks' final exam. “My mother dropped everything to stay with us in Plattekloof when he got ill. She ended up staying for seven months. As soon as Bella and I were out of isolation, my father joined us. After Byron's death, I realized I had no option but to put my head down and work. I'd worked so hard for nearly two years, sacrificing weekends and a social life. I had a young baby to think about. I couldn't give it all up."

Hendricks received the results of her written exam and, a couple of months later, passed her oral exam. Then came the next challenge: “Before I went on maternity leave in 2019, I had just got the ethical approval for a big project towards my MMed related to elective surgery in children. However, because of Covid-19, I was unable to collect data on patients. So my MMed research project was at a standstill and I had to start from scratch.

“Professor Chetty helped me to come up with another idea – to study pain assessment in ICU - and I was able to do the work and hand it in in December. His support as mentor and a friend has been incredible."

Hendricks said once the acute stress of the exams was over, the intensity of her ordeal suddenly hit home. “I had to take a week or so off. The department was very supportive," she said, adding that she sought the help of an excellent therapist.

Hendricks is currently working in ICU at Livingstone Hospital in Gqeberha, and loves her job. “I've bought a house and it is great being close to family."

After all she's been through, Hendricks wants to contribute to society through her work. “I am passionate about teaching and training young doctors and want to get involved in the anaesthesiology training programmes in the Eastern Cape and bring the experiences I had at Tygerberg to improve their training," she said.