Christmas lights go up against all odds

The Christmas Lights House on Biesie Avenue in Weltevreden Park has been a Christmas spectacle and a breath-taking display of lights on the West Rand for the last five years.

According to the house owner, Gareth Lingens, “The early beginnings of the Christmas lights were in a complex in Honeydew, where we put up a few lights around our unit for about two or three festive seasons.”

The Lingens family enjoyed how people in the complex brought their children to see their small collection of lights that increased by a few new items every year.

In 2014 the Lingens’ found the perfect home to express their love of lights, with lots of wall and roof space and palisade fencing to see through.

Some of the light frames around the house are home-made to accommodate lights donated by neighbours and friends.

Gareth said, “Despite the darkness of my wife’s cancer diagnosis this year, we are still making sure that love, light and joy are shared with the world around us this Christmas”.

After Gareth’s wife was diagnosed with metastatic melanoma, she underwent two weeks of radiation treatment and has been accepted to be part of a two-year clinical trial to treat the cancer in her body.

When the owners of The Christmas Lights House in Rand Park Ridge heard about her diagnosis via the grapevine, they offered their lights to the couple.

Gareth said, “We have not really asked God why my wife got cancer, but one thing we know for sure is we are here to bring light to the world and so we took on the challenge. So this year’s display, our sixth year of Christmas lights in Weltevreden Park, is going to be massive.”

Gareth and his family would like the public to make a contribution to an organisation that assists with the funding of cancer treatment so that they can bring light and hope to someone dealing with cancer.

Those who would like to donate and require banking details, please send a request via a private message on The Christmas Lights House Weltevreden Park Facebook page.