Andries Hills and pilot Dirk Opperman.

When well-known Hartbeespoort resident, Andries Hills was told to be at Little Paris promptly at 09:00 on Tuesday this week, he did not know what to expect. Maybe breakfast? But to his utter astonishment, he was sent on a helicopter trip.
For Andries, who has become an inspiration to everyone who crosses his path in the past decade, it was a bucket-list item come true. This dedicated cyclist suffers from Muscular Dystrophy, an illness where muscular wasting causes the body to absorb its own mass, and Fibrosis in certain areas of the brain. This remarkable young man, a former Meerhof School pupil, was diagnosed with a large brain tumour when he was only eight years old and given a two percent chance of survival. Now, 32 years later, he is flying high and living a life he loves.
The helicopter trip was a gift from pilot Dirk Opperman and Om Die Dam organiser Werner Nagel, ‘just to show some appreciation for Andries’ courage’.
Following the helicopter trip over Hartbeespoort, Andries couldn’t stop talking about how beautiful everything looked from the air. “It was a huge surprise! It was awesome. It was the biggest gift I ever received and it was one of my dreams. It was an amazing, amazing experience and something I will never forget. I cannot thank Dirk and Werner enough!”
Despite receiving a death sentence on many occasions during his life, Andries has taken part in numerous cycling challenges such as the Xtreme Cycle Tour over 1 800 km to the Cape to raise funds for a charity against child abuse. He also competed in the Cape Argus Cycle Tour.