The Boy Who Never Gave Up

The Boy Who Never Gave Up

By Dr Emmanuel Taban

Jonathan Ball. $19

In 1994, 16-year-old Emmanuel Taban walked out of war-torn Sudan with nothing, and nowhere to go. In the preceding months, he was abducted and then tortured by government forces, who falsely accused him of spying for the South Sudanese rebels. He managed to flee, hoping to be reunited with his family, but ended up going on a long and arduous journey through many African countries to SA. For many months Taban lived mostly on the street and faced many dangers, but he refused to give up. He arrived in SA penniless, and with only five years of schooling. Determined to get a proper education, Taban first completed school and then his medical studies. After specialising as a pulmonologist in 2018, he recently made a ground-breaking discovery around the treatment of hypoxemic Covid-19 patients. Heartwarming and inspiring, his life story is one of survival against all odds.