Daryl's story

Daryl has lived in Cape Town, South Africa, for most of his life. He is gay, but he did not “come out” about his sexuality until 2011, at the age of 23, as he had struggled to reconcile it with his Christianity and his desire for social acceptance.

In 2012, Daryl moved to England to study for a post-graduate degree and in September 2013 he tried to commit suicide by jumping in front of a London Underground train. As a result, he suffered traumatic bilateral transfemoral amputations, meaning that both his legs were severed mid-thigh, so he is now a full-time wheelchair-user.

Daryl is now back in South Africa, writes an inspirational blog about his life post-trauma, depression, disability, LGBT and many other topics. He is an ambassador for the South African Depression and Anxiety Group, and in that capacity, he addressed the Lead SA Changemakers Conference on 20 August 2016.  You can watch his powerful video about depression and leadership here: