At the end of the day, what is it that you're giving up on?

Mr Ramluckan's roommate had suffered a stroke and was taking his experience very hard. "He was an older gentleman, and he had totally given up," recalls Mr Ramluckan. "He refused to eat or take his meds. But he watched me every day."

At the time, Mr Ramluckan was flat on his back, with very limited ability to move. While Mr Ramluckan was dealing with a degree of paralysis, his roommate could sit up in his bed. "At night, if I couldn't sleep, I would try and move my leg or turn myself around. I was in pain, but I'd still do it. I'd call the nurses and ask for pain meds and keep trying."

These two men had rehab sessions together and in the end were discharged a week apart. When Mr Ramluckan was getting ready to go home, his companion was still struggling with his speech, and so wrote a simple, yet heartfelt note for him on his chalkboard: "Thanks for the motivation."

Mr Ramluckan responded, "It's a pleasure. But at the end of the day, what is it that you're giving up on?"

This epitomises Mr Ramluckan's journey through life, especially his health journey over the past few years. Mr Ramluckan believes that the glass will never just be half full when you have both reasons and the ability to fill it up yourself. There are no half measures in life. No matter the challenge, there's always a way through it. This is a life lesson he is currently teaching his children.

How did Mr Ramluckan end up almost entirely paralysed and in need of extensive rehabilitative care? Here is his story.

"I HARDLY EVER GOT SICK. I PERSONALLY DIDN'T USE OUR MEDICAL AID MUCH"

Mr Ramluckan has been a Discovery Life client for at least 18 years and has a comprehensive life insurance policy. He's also a member of Discovery Health Medical Scheme and Vitality, as well as a Discovery Bank client.

"When I took out a life cover plan, disability cover was something my financial adviser Logan Naidu said would be good for me in the long term. At that point in time, we looked at affordability and opted for a policy that was going to cover me holistically on all fronts."

"I've also got severe illness cover, income protection, and the Global Education Protector - all of which have now kicked in. I have had all of these, with the exception of the education protector, since inception. We added that around 2010, when my kids were born. Everything else was part of the original policy."

"Logan's thing was that 'you never know what can happen,'" says Mr Ramluckan. "No one ever wants to find out whether something will happen, but in the event that it does, at least you're covered."

"From a life cover perspective, it was just something that was there and being paid for every month. I thought the only time it would kick in would be when I die."

"IN APRIL 2018, I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH DIABETES AND HYPERTHYROIDISM"

"In June 2018, I was at the gym and had a major heart attack. This required three stents to be put in and led to my Severe Illness Benefit paying out," explains Mr Ramluckan.

When Mr Ramluckan woke after his heart surgery, the right side of his body felt a little numb. When he told the doctors about it, they initially believed the numbness would ease with time. This could have been due to a surgical complication that affected certain veins.

"Then the following year, I went for a check-up on my thyroid. The doctors weren't happy. They did a biopsy, and I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. In June 2019, I had my thyroid removed." "When I woke up after that operation, my whole right side was totally numb. So, we had an MRI done."

The scan showed that Mr Ramluckan had two slipped discs at the top of his neck that were pinching nerves. He also had two slipped discs in his lower spine. "Those weren't as bad so the doctors said we could treat those with physio."

"I kind of managed with the pain until December 2019 when my neck and shoulders started getting quite bad."

In January, Mr Ramluckan went back to his doctor and was assured that they could do a disc replacement operation. It would require three days in hospital post-op and then six weeks of healing at home. Mr Ramluckan was satisfied, with this surgical option, he would have the most mobility and range of movement - something that was important to him as a father of two young children. "You need to be of certain age for this operation, and there must be no indication of degeneration of the bone. The doctors came back to me and told me that I was a candidate. So, we went in and did the disc replacement surgery."

However, when Mr Ramluckan woke up from that procedure, he had no feeling in his body from the neck down. The doctors had another scan done, but the metal replacement discs interfered with the scan. This meant it was necessary to schedule another procedure to open Mr Ramluckan up, to see what had gone wrong.

"When they went back in, they realised that I had developed an internal bleed after they had previously closed me up. I had bled onto my spinal column. This clotted and caused the paralysis," Mr Ramluckan explains.

"I SPENT EIGHT DAYS IN ICU AND THEN I WENT INTO REHAB"

Mr Ramluckan was told that in his condition, the best-case scenario involved being in a wheelchair after at least 12 months of rehab. "They told me I'd never walk again. And then they told me I'll never drive again. That's when I told them: 'Listen, you've made a mistake there... because I love driving."

Mr Ramluckan was also told that he'd be in the rehab facility for at least eight months. "I told them: 'No, not a chance.' I kept pushing the therapists and myself. Three months later, I walked out of there."

"CURRENTLY, I'M DIAGNOSED WITH BROWN-SÉQUARD SYNDROME (BSS)"

Mr Ramluckan's healing journey is ongoing. "I still go for physio three days a week and occupational therapy twice a month. I don't have strength in my fingertips."

One half of his body is weakened and lacks muscle strength, and the other half has no sensation or feeling at all. "On my left side, I feel absolutely nothing. I don't even feel hot or cold. If I go into the shower, I need to test the water first with my right hand. I can't really feel it with my left hand. It just feels like something flowing but I can't tell whether it's hot or cold."

"If I type or write for even five minutes, my entire arm locks up. I can't run. I can't bend. I can't turn around too fast. If I'm walking in a straight line, I can't just stop. I need two or three steps to stop. I also can't just change direction. I will literally topple over."

"There's still quite a bit of work to be done. But so far, so good. I manage to do as much as I can."

"I'VE GOT TWO NEUROLOGISTS WORKING WITH ME AT THE MOMENT"

"They say that I'm a unique case," he says proudly. "They said my head is in the right place."

His positive, can-do attitude and sheer willpower have done wonders for not only getting him back on his feet but also keeping him in a position to continue progressing.

But his journey isn't over yet. "My neurologists are trying out different medications to find the best fit for me. I've been on a lot of sedatives and relaxants. Six months later and those are now working to help me sleep better."

"My recovery will be long term. I'm doing what I need to do. I follow my therapists' and neurologists' direction."

"MY WIFE WAS IMPACTED THE MOST"

"My kids are at an age where they know daddy's sick, but as long as I am there for them, they're happy," he says. "This year, my daughter will be 10 and my son will be 12."

"My son will come and massage my neck, shoulders and lower back after he showers in the morning. And before he goes to bed, he'll say: 'Dad, it's time now' and come to do it again for me."

"The biggest impact on them is when they want to do physical stuff with me. If they want to go outside to play and jump, they know I can't have that physical interaction with them. In terms of where we can go and what we can do together, they know that I can't participate in much, but I can be there with them. They're getting to a point where they do understand that I have limitations and they do take that into consideration ... sometimes."

"But kids will be kids too. They forget sometimes when they want something. They'll ask: 'Why can't we do that?'"

"The biggest impact has been on my wife." For her, Mr Ramluckan's sudden paralysis was devasting. "I told her, 'Listen, I'm still here. So, we will do what we need to. We'll do what we have to do. It's as simple as that. The rest of it will fall into place."

"WE DIDN'T TELL TOO MANY PEOPLE WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED"

"I had my disc replacement op on 26 February 2020. I then went into rehab on 7 March and then on 26 March, we went into level 5 lockdown. It felt a bit pointless to let anybody know because nobody could actually come and visit. Nobody could really do anything. We didn't know what sort of recovery we were looking at either in the midst of COVID-19."

Although Mr Ramluckan was in hospital at that time, he kept abreast of what was happening in the world. "When I got an inkling that there was going to be a lockdown, I asked my wife to go and get some shopping done. She managed to beat the rush and stock up on groceries that would last a month or two."

The strict COVID-19 protocols meant that Mr Ramluckan's wife couldn't visit him at the rehab facility at first. She was only allowed to drop off clothing and personal items at reception. They used video calls to keep in contact as a family.

As the COVID-19 regulations eased, Mr Ramluckan's doctors allowed him to go outside to physically meet his family. This comforted them all, especially his young children.

"WE HAVE A VERY GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH MY ADVISER"

"My wife has known him for a while because Mr Naidu assisted the family when her dad passed away. When I met her, she introduced me to him. Ever since, we used to meet up once or twice a year to discuss how best he could help us," explains Mr Ramluckan.

"I think that's why the policy he put together for us is actually brilliant. With everything kicking in, it did help."

Due to Mr Ramluckan's physical condition, he could no longer keep his job. "The doctors could not say when I'll get better... or if I would get better. So, I was dismissed from my job."

Logan saw to it that all of Mr Ramluckan's policy benefits kicked in at that point to support the family. He received a monthly income from his disability income protection, and the Global Education Protector paid for his children's schooling. His Discovery Health cover also provided the support he needed.

"The benefit payments helped us to manage. It made everything easier."

"Logan has been super fantastic, I must say. Even though he had moved to India, he would call at least once a week to check how we were doing. When I was in rehab, he called my wife to check on her and the kids too. He'd always ask if there was anything he could do or arrange for us."

"I've been very impressed with the way Discovery handled everything. There was always somebody who contacted me, told me what was happening... The entire team was fantastic. The experience that I've had with Discovery, I can't fault anyone. Everyone has been brilliant."

"I really appreciated that if I made a call and spoke to somebody, they had my whole history. I didn't have to go back and explain everything again. I didn't need to start from the beginning with a new person each time. I think that was the best part of it. If you have to keep explaining yourself, at some point you get frustrated. We never had that."

"With everyone we dealt with from Discovery Life, it's just been a pleasure. From the get-go, there was no ambiguity. No issues."

Discovery's team always made it clear what Mr Ramluckan needed to do to process claims. The team also guided him on where to get the necessary documents which needed to be submitted.

"I WOULD DEFINITELY RECOMMEND HAVING THESE BENEFITS TO ANYBODY AND EVERYBODY OUT THERE"

"Discovery's array of benefits can be tailored to meet all your needs with one policy, and it'll definitely work for you," he shares.

"Every time Discovery brought out a new product or enhanced a product, Logan always gave me a call. He was very proactive."

"Whenever I speak to people now. I tell them, 'You never know what's going to happen. So, make sure that you've got some sort of cover for a rainy day.'"

"MY FAMILY AND I ARE ON A GOOD PATH"

"For the time being, I'm reliant on my cover for financial security. I've got physio sessions weekly and with the number of meds I take, I need a day or two where I can just crash. I'm trying to concentrate on getting everything working again. I'm pushing. Even my therapist tells me I should relax a little bit. I've told them, 'No, I don't know how long my benefits are going to last' and that I need to be self-sufficient again. So, I need to push and make sure everything works properly, so I can get back to the normal world. I'd like to go back to the work I was doing before."

"The kids now understand my therapies. They come with for my therapy sessions, so they can see what happens and what I go through. It's assisted in their understanding of everything as well."

"We're doing our best with what we can. I'm also trying to teach the kids to live their life in that way, you know. To not look at all the negatives. You've got the weigh up the situation and find the sunshine."