{"id":19592,"date":"2021-06-10T17:35:07","date_gmt":"2021-06-10T17:35:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/site.hopetoheal.org.za\/staging\/?p=19592"},"modified":"2021-06-10T17:35:07","modified_gmt":"2021-06-10T17:35:07","slug":"despite-the-battle-of-self-acceptance-adam-seef-dedicated-his-life-to-serve-the-most-vulnerable-people-with-love","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/site.hopetoheal.org.za\/staging\/2021\/06\/10\/despite-the-battle-of-self-acceptance-adam-seef-dedicated-his-life-to-serve-the-most-vulnerable-people-with-love\/","title":{"rendered":"Despite the Battle of Self-Acceptance, Adam Seef dedicated his life to Serve the most Vulnerable people with Love."},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

On the 26th\nof June 2019, in a hotel in Eilat, Israel, on a tour with his closest friends,\nafter having had two incredible days of fun and laughter, Adam Seef fell victim\nto suicide. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adam was a first-year\nmedical student at the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. In his only\nsemester at the university, he achieved firsts for all his subjects. A top\nachievement. This, after finishing matric with a full house of 7 distinctions,\nand featuring on the Outstanding List, a list for students who finished in the\ntop 5% of the country in six different subjects. Adam was extremely popular and\nloved by all those around him. And yet in his words, he \u201ccouldn\u2019t hold on any\nlonger.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adam felt\nlost. Uncertain. He could not reconcile the person he portrayed to those around\nhim with the person he felt he was inside. He did not feel safe sharing his\ninner demons, in fear that it may push those he loved most away from him,\nisolating him even more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why didn\u2019t\nhe just reach out? Obviously, we would have accepted his intricacies, and we\nwould have done everything we could have to help him. To those around Adam,\nthis was extremely obvious. But to Adam, it was not so. When depression infects\na piece of your mind, it grips your rationality. Distorts it. A cloud of black\ncovers your neural vision. \u201cFor sure\u201ds become \u201cwhat if\u201ds, and reaching out for\nhelp seems more like a death sentence than a cure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However,\ndespite Adam\u2019s battle of self-acceptance, he dedicated his life to offering\nothers security, happiness, and love through his constant acts of outreach.\nThroughout high school, Adam visited Sandringham Gardens, a Jewish old-age\nhome, where he handed out Shabbat treats and spoke to and got to know the\nelderly. Many of them remembered Adam by name and looked forward to his weekly\nvisits. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adam also\ndedicated much of his time to visiting Impilo, a child protection and adoption\nservice. He enjoyed entertaining the kids. The kids instantly fell in love with\nAdam and ran towards him in excitement whenever he visited. Adam loved being\ninvolved in the \u2018Santa Shoebox Collection\u2019. Every December, Adam went to the\nzoo to meet the recipients and help facilitate this act of giving. Adam, being\nelected a student leader of King David High School Linksfield\u2019s Outreach\nCommittee was also involved in many charity collections and other impactful\ninitiatives. It is thus without a doubt that Adam made a massive difference in\nso many people\u2019s lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Celebrating the Life of Adam Seef<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

On the 8th<\/sup>\nof June, for the past 20 years, Adam Seef\u2019s family and friends have celebrated\nhis birthday in appreciation for all that he brought into their lives. They\ncelebrated the way he made people laugh, the guidance and selfless help that he\nalways had to offer and the cherished memories that will forever be held close\nto their hearts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, on\nthe 26th<\/sup> of June 2019, Adam tragically took his own life. But this\ndoes not mean that we need to stop celebrating our precious Adam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Therefore,\non Adam\u2019s 21st<\/sup> birthday, we want to celebrate him by giving back\nwhat he gave to us. Adam\u2019s life was dedicated to helping others. Whether it was\nin his sense of humour or in his passion for outreach, his kindness was\nlimitless. We know that it would warm Adam\u2019s heart to watch us warm the less-fortunate\nwinter during this very cold period. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We will thus\nbe running a drive with the aim to donate 210 winter packs that will be\ndistributed around Johannesburg (more details to follow) in honour and in\nmemory of our Adam. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pack\nwill include:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n