People

SA Raises Over R60k to Help a Cape Town Petrol Attendant Who Delivered a Baby Become a Paramedic

Published 9 Jun 2026 at 3:30 PM

by Bongiwe Mati

3 min read

A 21-year-old petrol attendant from Cape Town went viral after stepping up to deliver a healthy baby boy during a routine night shift
Following the incident, a popular content creator launched a crowdfunding campaign to help the young man pursue his lifelong dream of becoming a paramedic
The fundraising initiative has gained substantial financial backing, successfully raising tens of thousands of rands within just a few days

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A crowdfunding campaign has raised over R67,000 for a young Cape Town petrol attendant — Chevaan Abrahams made headlines after assisting a pregnant woman in active labour at a garage. Image: @coolstorybru
Source: TikTok

An ordinary night shift turned into a life-changing milestone for a young petrol attendant whose quick thinking and composure under pressure have put him on the path to a medical career. On 22 May 2026, Chevaan Abrahams was working his regular shift at Shell Zevenwacht, Kuils River, when a pregnant woman in active labour arrived at the service station.

Despite having no formal medical training, the 21-year-old managed to suppress any panic and step forward into the high-pressure situation and safely deliver a healthy baby boy before emergency services reached the scene. The extraordinary encounter caught the attention of popular digital content creator TikTk user @coolstorybru_, who discovered that the young man aspired to venture into the emergency medical services field.

A content creator initiates a BackaBuddy initiative

Recognising the courage, compassion, and natural emergency instincts displayed during the incident, the creator started a BackaBuddy crowdfunding campaign to finance the young man’s professional medical training. The initiative has seen a rapid influx of financial contributions. As of 9 June 2026, the fund has accumulated over R67,000, boosting the young hero's prospects of securing a formal education in emergency medical care. The funding is still open for 10 more days.

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Find the BackaBudy link here:

Empowering a natural lifesaver

The content creator set up the fundraising campaign while remaining in communication with the petrol attendant to manage the allocation of resources for his upcoming academic pursuits. Organisers emphasise that the young man acted purely on instinct and a desire to preserve life, without any expectation of reward or recognition. The money gathered through the crowdfunding portal will go directly toward tuition fees, equipment, and training costs required for the youth to obtain a formal qualification as a paramedic.

Here's what some of the donors said

User @Pieter de Gouveia commented:

"From all the other petrol garage brothers, we salute you! Good luck on your next chapter, and we wish you the best in helping others."

User @Anonymous said:

"We plan, but God is the best planner...whatever God has planned for you, it won't miss you. May it be a successful and beautiful journey to your dream. Never give up. May God accept all your prayers. Shukran."

User @Nivita shared:

"Good luck with your studies. You’re going to be an amazing paramedic!"

4 Briefly articles about petrol attendants

A Cape Town petrol attendant with dreams of becoming a paramedic was called a hero after stepping in to assist a pregnant woman safely give birth at Shell Zevenwacht garage station.
Shell garage petrol attendant Chevaan Abrahams explained how he stepped in to help a pregnant woman give birth in the early hours of the morning at a garage in Kuils River, touching the hearts of many social media users.
A petrol attendant was filmed carefully extracting a splinter embedded in a stray dog's paw, earning respect from the online community.
Shell petrol attendants from the Central Karoo gave American skateboarder Jayson Vanporppal a hero's welcome when he reached their station on his skating trip to Cape Town, leaving him emotional.