From DJ to Diabetes Advocate: Jeffrey’s Inspiring Journey of Resilience and Hope After Losing Both Legs

Jeffrey is what you call a born optimist. Someone who deals with difficult times with humor and self-deprecation. “But,” he admits quickly, “I have good days and bad days too.” No matter how much you put things into perspective, the turmoil that has happened to Jeffrey in recent years cannot be dismissed. But he still smiles and continues to work to save other people from his fate.

Nightlife in The Hague

In the 80s and 90s, Jeffrey was already a welcome guest in the nightlife of The Hague. “When I was young I did a lot of parodies and characters, which always put a smile on people’s faces at parties,” he says. “I was asked to be a disc jockey at a campsite in Kaag. That involved a lot of talking and a bit of mixing, of course against a good DJ, but people liked it. Then I became a DJ at De Beereboot, a popular café party in The Hague.”

In De Beereboot, Jeffrey is ‘discovered’ by radio producers from Radio 94, formerly Den Haag FM, who give him a radio column. This is the beginning of a career as a media maker. Later, Jeffrey, who is a passionate fan of ADO Den Haag, presents the ADO Journaal for Omroep West, among other things.

In addition to his media appearances, Jeffrey was also active as an entrepreneur at that time. He works, among other things, as a chef and as a coffee shop owner, and he also leads a life that he describes as ‘rock-n-roll’. “We used to have a good time, if you know what I mean. I liked the drink. I was young, and at that age you don’t notice that at all.”

Type II diabetes

But soon ‘rock-n-roll life’ has a big influence on Jeffrey. At the age of 27, he was diagnosed with type II diabetes, the non-inherited variant that is often linked to an unhealthy lifestyle.

In 2015, Jeffrey suffered from swelling in his leg, which did not heal properly due to diabetes. After a few toes were removed, the inevitable followed later in the year: his lower right leg had to be amputated. “That was actually a thing,” he says now, hypocritically.

But despite this big blow, Jeffrey remains positive. That is his great strength, he says himself. He gets a prosthesis, a mobility scooter – ‘My card’, he calls it – and is still active. He even starts a new adventure as an entrepreneur and develops his own Hufsaus. ‘No bullshit, good stuff’, the slogan.

Hufsaus

“I have worked in many kitchens, as a chef. I ran a cafe, and I used to work at the main market at Piet Patat,” said Jeffrey about his adventure. “I found that there had never been a really good spicy sauce, one that was really spicy. Then I did my own magic and came up with this sauce. It’s kind of a cold Indian coconut sauce with lots of herbs and good mayo. There was a lot of growth, Big Bazaar sold it, and it was available in Jumbo supermarkets.

With a special sauce, Jeffrey travels all over The Hague to sell his sauce, until disaster strikes again early this year. “Because of bacteria I developed a problem with the other leg,” he says. His other leg is his healthy leg, the leg that is still attached. A bacterial infection eats into that leg, with serious consequences. “In the hospital they immediately said: ‘That leg has to be removed, but I didn’t like that,'” says Jeffrey.

Jeffrey had once seen a program on television about treatment with bacteriophages. These are viruses that can kill bacteria and thus do a useful job. “I saw it on Radar,” says Jeffrey. Ten years ago he came up with a story about these phages. I already thought: if I had known that, I might still have my leg. Then this story hit my other leg, and I thought: I have to go after that.”

Occupational therapy

The experimental treatment with the phages, which must come all the way from Georgia, is not reimbursed by health insurance. That’s why Jeffrey’s old friends are raising money for him. “A crowdfunding campaign was set up, and bands and artists organized a benefit night for me. That was great, although I have to say I was only in for 5 minutes.”

Jeffrey feels so bad that evening that an ambulance even has to come to take him to the hospital. “I resisted that a lot because I knew: when I woke up, my leg was taken away.”

The slogan and the benefit evening will raise thousands of euros, with which Jeffrey can start phage treatment. That is a time of hope, but that hope will not last long. “In the end it wasn’t my salvation,” says Jeffrey. “It’s not clear why it didn’t work. It’s very difficult to implement that treatment, and it took a long time before the right figures were grown. Too long.”

In April this year it turned out that the treatment was definitely in vain, and Jeffrey’s left leg had to be amputated as well. “Hellish,” he shouts at that moment. But he will soon regain his composure. “I am now learning to walk again with a prosthesis,” he feels conflicted.

Wash at tap

But since he’s missing both of his legs, life hasn’t gotten any easier for Jeffrey. “When I lost my second leg, I was done with entrepreneurship,” he says. Because he can’t do anything for a while, he is now forced to live on benefits. And although the housing association has promised that he will soon have a bathroom, Jeffrey has to wash himself standing on a prosthesis in front of his tap.

Jeffrey still tries, especially with this nice weather, to go outside every day. In his cart to Scheveningen, or chatting with the neighborhood kids on the street. “Then I tell them I’m a pirate who was the captain of a pirate ship. They love that.”

On Instagram, Jeffrey regularly provides updates on his life and rehabilitation. He doesn’t just do that because he loves it. “I also do it so people don’t always ask how I’m doing when they meet me on the street,” he says. “Then you have to tell the story.” -every time. I don’t feel the need to be sad all the time.”

Saving children from the fate that befell him is now Jeffrey’s most important mission. With his foundation DiaB-tv, together with presenter Paula Udondek, among others, he makes lesson programs in which he warns children about the effects of an unhealthy lifestyle. “We have been working on this for ten years, as volunteers,” he says. “We make a difference in the schools with the lessons we give there. That works like a charm. If you can get parents involved too so they also pay attention to food healthy, you can save a lot of misery. After all, prevention is better than cure.”

Health permitting, Jeffrey would like to work as a motivational speaker in the future. “The best thing would be if I could visit companies and organizations with a good story and a lot of humor and self-deprecation,” he says. “Then I can show people that a positive attitude can make a difference to do And I think I can be a good example of how to deal with problems for people who are sick.”

Sunday interview

Every Sunday we publish an interview in text and pictures of someone who has or has experienced something special. That can be a big event that the person deals with admirably. The Sunday interviews seem to have had a profound effect on the interviewee’s life.

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A lesson here the earlier Sunday interviews.