At 116 years old, South Africa’s oldest man, Fredie Blom, has fallen seriously ill and is not doing well, his family says.
His family believes Oom Fredie’s advanced age has finally caught up with him after he stopped eating four days ago, and he hasn’t even been out of bed for two weeks.
The centenarian has been lying motionless in his bed and his family says they’ve never seen him this weak.
He does not have any children, and is married to his wife Janetta, 87.
Fredie was born in Adelaide in the Eastern Cape and worked as a gardener until the ripe age of 106, when he still chopped wood in the bush.
Oom Fredie turned 116 years old in May.
In July, he was hospitalised for a day after having breathing problems.
When the Daily Voice visited him, Oom Fredie showed no signs of illness and was making a fire in his yard where he sat to warm up.
Janetta said she gave her husband of 50 years her special home remedy, which is a mixture of Turlington drops, honey, cayenne pepper, hot water and lemon.
Currently surrounded by family at home, Janetta has asked for privacy, adding that they aren’t accepting any visitors now.
“Oom Blom isn’t well, his age has caught up with him, he’s very tired and weak, the worst we’ve ever seen him,” she tells the Daily Voice.
“We ask that the public give Oom Blom the time to go peacefully.”
Family friend Andre Naido, 59, from Plumstead, who regularly drove Oom Blom to hospital appointments, says he has been at the family home every day in the last week.
“Oom Blom is a remarkable man, he became very frail in the last two weeks. He isn’t eating so we can see he is not getting better.”
Community worker Gadija Francis says they are all hartseer: “For nearly two weeks he has just been lying in bed, we can only pray for less suffering, but if God comes to take him, it will be fine because he had his days.”
Oom Fredie has survived two world wars, as well as the dangerous and deadly Spanish Flu pandemic in 1919.