Christa Meyer and Vivyan Alers
Authors: Occupational Therapy SA Journal of 
Published: February 2025

In Commemoration of Christa Meyer 20th Oct 1941 - 28th Oct 2018After attending primary school in Kroondal and high school at RustenburgHigh, Christa went on to study occupational therapy at the thenPretoria College of Occupational Therapy. After qualifyingshe worked at the Pretoria General Hospital (HFVerwoerd Hospital now Steve Biko Academic Hospital)where she became interested in the rehabilitation ofpeople with spinal cord injuries(SCI). Vona du Toitrealised Christa's dedication to rehabilitation of peoplewith SCI and involved her in starting a Sport Associationfor paraplegics. Christa accompanied the first SouthAfrican team to the Olympics in Japan. Thereafter, shetravelled many times to international sporting events,as part of the management team.The treatment of patients with spinal cord injurybecame a speciality for Christa and she later went on towork at Conradie Hospital in the Cape where she becamean expert in orthotics and functional rehabilitationof the upper limb and developed a training programmeusing the Engen flexor hinge splint.After the 1974 WFOT meeting in VancouverChrista, together with Priscilla Stevenson visited MaudMalik at the Hammerville Rehabiliation Centre as well as ThorkildEngen himself in Houston. While in Houston she actually taught theAmerican team how to train patients to use the splint with differentlevels of injury. In the same trip Christa and Priscilla learned about Jobsgarments for burns patients and brought this information back to SA.Due to Christa's expertise in splinting and in treatment programmesfor quadriplegic patients she was invited by Maud Malik towork with her at the rehabilitation centre in Hammerville where shespent 2 years and co-authored books with Maud Malik on splinting.She later brought Maud Malik to SA to share her expertise on splinting.Christa left Conradie to take up the post as Head OT at GrooteSchuur Hospital (after Moira Peart retired) where she was involved inthe clinical training of occupational therapy students. In 1990 Christatook up a post to lecture at MEDUNSA (now Sefako Makgatho HealthSciences University), a post that she held until her retirement in 2001.While at Medunsa she became involved in community servicesfor people with disabilities in the neighbouring areas, especially Winterveld.She saw the extreme need for rehabilitation at the communitylevel as many adults and children were not able to access the existinghospital services. This resulted in her training a group of local womenas rehabilitation assistants at the community level (communityrehabilitation workers). This pioneering workwas done along with the training of similar workers atAlexander Health centre and that at Tintswalo hospital.It was a great sadness for her to see this type of thetraining being abandoned as she realised that gettingrehabilitation to disadvantaged communities was goingto be compromised. In spite of this she continued offeringservices at the community level until she retired.All OT students at Medunsa spent time during theirtraining learning about community rehabilitation underChrista's guidance.When Christa retired from Medunsa she spentone year in Kampala, Uganda to help the occupationaltherapists to develop OT services. Thereafter, she wasinvited to the Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre(KCMC), in Moshi, Tanzania where she spent fouryears training occupational therapists and helping toestablish this training.On returning to South Africa, she was often asked (even earlierthis year) to hold workshops for therapists working with SCI.Christa who had a disciplined attitude to life and a deep Christianbelief spent her life unselfishly helping others. Many people's lives weregreatly enriched by knowing her. Her positive approach to life helpedher to overcome or live with many underlying medical conditions.Even when she was unwell, she still managed to help people in theretirement village at Kroondal where she spent her last years; andshe was involved in Food Garden projects at the local school as wellas the distribution of bibles to disadvantaged communities.Christa always saw her life under God's guidance and she knewthat God was beside her every step of the way.Christa's legacy as an outstanding OT and friend will live on.The Lord said: I have loved you with an everlasting love, thereforewith loving kindness I have drawn you to me.Estelle Shipham, Pricilla Stevenson and Marj ConchaNovember 2018Vale to Vivyan Margaret AlersSouth Africa, and indeed the world, has lost a dynamic and prominentoccupational therapist in Vyvyan Alers. She had a degree in socialwork, and a Bachelors and a Masters degree in occupational therapy.She belonged to the World Psychodrama Association and trained inpsychodrama and the Therapeutic Spiral in the UK, Jerusalem and inFrance. She was also highly trained and an expert in the theories ofSensory Integration and was a progressive leader in the South AfricanInstitute of Sensory Integration (SAISI).As a clinician she had her own practice in the paediatric fieldand, typical of her generous nature and activist leanings, she tookher expertise in psychodrama, trauma and bereavement counsellinginto disadvantaged communities where violent crimes are rifeand the availability of such expertise is minimal. It was here that shedeveloped her own NPO in the deprived township of Ivory Park, apoverty stricken township near Johannesburg.She was a popular lecturer in occupational therapy at the Universityof Witwatersrand in Johannesburg and, together with RoseCrouch, advocated for the commencement of a coursework Mastersin Group work at the University of Kwa Zulu Natal.Viv was co-editor with Rose Crouch of the last three out of fiveeditions of "Occupational Therapy in Psychiatry and Mental Health",an internationally respected textbook. Active in the latter years ofOccupational Therapy Africa Regional Group (OTARG) conferences,and with a passionate love for Africa, Viv's determination to chronicalthe unique role of OT in Africa was realised when in 2010 as principleeditor, she produced the book "Occupational Therapy: An AfricanPerspective," which is used extensively by OTs in Africa today.Viv was a much loved, larger than life, and truly fun-to-be-with personwhose infectious laugh and humour made her great company at aparty but equally, was the passionate gentle and loyal friend that wouldlisten intently to the concerns of her colleagues and the oppressed.Many close friends have all lost a kindred and vivacious spirit thatenriched their lives with her creativity, generosity and overwhelmingpresence. Many individuals in need of support globally, have benefitedfrom her collaboration, teamwork and joint productivity.Apart from her deep conviction for the essential contribution ofOT to the health and wellness of humanity, Viv was a talented artist,and an excellent gardener (especially indigenous African gardening).She loved animals, had particular passion for bull terriers and horses,and rode very well.Her husband Ian, and two children Luke and Cindy were thecentre of her life. The children married and the family grew withthe additions of a daughter and son-in-law Nicole and Ian, and thengrandchildren, Kate, Chloe, Isabel and Alexander. It is thus in onesense a compounded tragedy that her life was so prematurely takenwhen she was at such a contented and happy place within it. But fromanother viewpoint, her death at such a time of occupational fulfilmentand emotional contentment can also be viewed as a blessing in thatshe died in such a happy space within her life journey.The OT halls will echo with the sounds of your laughter, andvibrate with the passion that your activist soul and conviction broughtto those of us who sit in boxes and fear to get out of them. We willmiss you deeply dear Vivyan.Robin Joubert and Rose CrouchJuly 2018Vale to Vivyan Margaret AlersAfter attending primary school in Kroondal and high school at RustenburgHigh, Christa went on to study occupational therapy at the thenPretoria College of Occupational Therapy. After qualifyingshe worked at the Pretoria General Hospital (HFVerwoerd Hospital now Steve Biko Academic Hospital)where she became interested in the rehabilitation ofpeople with spinal cord injuries(SCI). Vona du Toitrealised Christa's dedication to rehabilitation of peoplewith SCI and involved her in starting a Sport Associationfor paraplegics. Christa accompanied the first SouthAfrican team to the Olympics in Japan. Thereafter, shetravelled many times to international sporting events,as part of the management team.The treatment of patients with spinal cord injurybecame a speciality for Christa and she later went on towork at Conradie Hospital in the Cape where she becamean expert in orthotics and functional rehabilitationof the upper limb and developed a training programmeusing the Engen flexor hinge splint.After the 1974 WFOT meeting in VancouverChrista, together with Priscilla Stevenson visited MaudMalik at the Hammerville Rehabiliation Centre as well as ThorkildEngen himself in Houston. While in Houston she actually taught theAmerican team how to train patients to use the splint with differentlevels of injury. In the same trip Christa and Priscilla learned about Jobsgarments for burns patients and brought this information back to SA.Due to Christa's expertise in splinting and in treatment programmesfor quadriplegic patients she was invited by Maud Malik towork with her at the rehabilitation centre in Hammerville where shespent 2 years and co-authored books with Maud Malik on splinting.She later brought Maud Malik to SA to share her expertise on splinting.Christa left Conradie to take up the post as Head OT at GrooteSchuur Hospital (after Moira Peart retired) where she was involved inthe clinical training of occupational therapy students. In 1990 Christatook up a post to lecture at MEDUNSA (now Sefako Makgatho HealthSciences University), a post that she held until her retirement in 2001.While at Medunsa she became involved in community servicesfor people with disabilities in the neighbouring areas, especially Winterveld.She saw the extreme need for rehabilitation at the communitylevel as many adults and children were not able to access the existinghospital services. This resulted in her training a group of local womenas rehabilitation assistants at the community level (communityrehabilitation workers). This pioneering workwas done along with the training of similar workers atAlexander Health centre and that at Tintswalo hospital.It was a great sadness for her to see this type of thetraining being abandoned as she realised that gettingrehabilitation to disadvantaged communities was goingto be compromised. In spite of this she continued offeringservices at the community level until she retired.All OT students at Medunsa spent time during theirtraining learning about community rehabilitation underChrista's guidance.When Christa retired from Medunsa she spentone year in Kampala, Uganda to help the occupationaltherapists to develop OT services. Thereafter, she wasinvited to the Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre(KCMC), in Moshi, Tanzania where she spent fouryears training occupational therapists and helping toestablish this training.On returning to South Africa, she was often asked (even earlierthis year) to hold workshops for therapists working with SCI.Christa who had a disciplined attitude to life and a deep Christianbelief spent her life unselfishly helping others. Many people's lives weregreatly enriched by knowing her. Her positive approach to life helpedher to overcome or live with many underlying medical conditions.Even when she was unwell, she still managed to help people in theretirement village at Kroondal where she spent her last years; andshe was involved in Food Garden projects at the local school as wellas the distribution of bibles to disadvantaged communities.Christa always saw her life under God's guidance and she knewthat God was beside her every step of the way.Christa's legacy as an outstanding OT and friend will live on.The Lord said: I have loved you with an everlasting love, thereforewith loving kindness I have drawn you to me.Estelle Shipham, Pricilla Stevenson and Marj ConchaNovember 2018