Lara Van Lelyveld (37) originally from Howick, Pietermaritzburg, had just landed her dream job as Head of English at Curro, Century City, when the breathing problems she had been experiencing became very serious.
What started as shortness of breath, turned out to be something far worse.
In November 2020, Lara was diagnosed with Idiopathic Subglottic Stenosis, a rare, life-threatening illness that causes the narrowing of a patient’s trachea, as well as inflammation and the development of tissue in the throat area.
Lara, who friends and loved ones describe as ‘bubbly and colourful’, had now gone from living an adventurous life, to losing a big part of herself; her voice and her cheerful laugh.
Since her diagnosis, Lara has been in and out of hospital countless times, to stop her throat from closing. As the cause of her condition is unknown, doctors are doing all they can to give Lara her life back.
Lara’s medical journey
In November 2021, Lara received an endoscopic dilation of the tracheal stenosis, which showed promise, but unfortunately the results were short lived and the scar tissue grew back even more aggressively months later.
In April 2021, Lara was surgically fitted with a stent, which unfortunately failed as the scar tissue began to engulf it.
Lara communicates using pen and paper due to no air around her vocal cords making it hard for her to talk.
In May 2021, Lara had a tracheostomy inserted to help her breathing, as doctors continue to investigate the best course of treatment for Lara.
Currently, under the expert care of Professor Lubbe, Lara’s trachea continues to close. At it’s most narrow, her trachea was a scant 1mm wide, while a healthy trachea should be between 1,5 cm to 2 cm wide. At this stage, it takes about 4 weeks for the trachea to narrow to a diameter of 3mm.
With every procedure Lara has had, the scar tissue grows back quicker and quicker, causing Lara severe discomfort and stress.
‘My dreams are indefinitely on hold’
After a 4-hour-long operation, Lara was fitted with a T-shaped trach tube on 2 August 2021, which unfortunately didn’t work as she was unable to breathe. She has now been given several steroid injections in her throat tissue to see if this will stop her tissue from growing. She will then receive an iron infusion as she has become anaemic.
Apart from the physical pain of her procedures, and the emotional toll it has had on her, Lara has also given up a lot of life’s simple pleasures.
While she has her tracheostomy, she will not be able to swim again in fear of drowning. The chances of her returning to the classroom, the job she loves, are also very slim.
“Truth be told, I’m terrified. I can’t plan my future and so many of my dreams are indefinitely on hold. This disease has brought me to my knees. Each day is a struggle.” – says Lara
Crowdfunding on BackaBuddy
In addition to the above, Lara is also facing a tremendous financial burden, as her medical aid only covers her hospital stays, but not her specialised procedures or medications.
Lara with a trach tube that has to be replaced after every 6 months costing R9900.
To assist Lara with her medical bills, her loved ones have launched a crowdfunding campaign on BackaBuddy, that has thus far raised over R 31 000 towards their fundraising target of R50 000, to support lovely Lara on her road to recovery.
South Africa’s leading crowdfunding platform, BackaBuddy has supported more than 10 000+ individuals and charities in setting up fundraising campaigns for medical fees, tuition, and various causes in South Africa. The platform has thus far raised over R260 Million.
Kim Jones (43) from Table View, Cape Town is on a mission to help her 3-year-old, ‘beautiful and lively niece’, Holly Bright, find her voice.
Edgemead residents may recognise Holly sitting in her wheelchair, with her beautiful big eyes, and glowing red hair, but what many don’t know is that she was born with Rett Syndrome, a rare genetic neurological and developmental disorder.
The condition, which affects the way the brain develops, causes a progressive loss of motor skills and speech, as well as regular seizures and breathing challenges. Holly’s case is quite severe.
Pictured above: Holly was born with Rett Syndrome, a rare genetic neurological and developmental disorder.
“Despite having a lot to say, Holly is unable to get the words out. It breaks my heart when I see her face light up acknowledging my presence, but knowing that she can’t say hello, or worse is when you see the tears well up because she is frustrated or in pain, but can’t tell us where it hurts or how we can help.” says Kim.
Pictured above: Kim sits holding Holly and her sister, Lily, with Tammy and granny at the back.
Helping Holly
To help Holly communicate, she has in the past been able to stick pictures on a velcro-covered board and then point to what she wanted to say.
While this rudimentary device showed promising results, unfortunately, Holly’s body is weak and the connection between her brain and hands is compromised, so she is often unable to use her hands to have her say.
As a solution to this obstacle, Kim set out to raise funds on BackaBuddy to purchase an electronic PCEye device that uses Eye Gaze technology, estimated to cost over R26 000. With some training, Holly’s quality of life will increase dramatically and she will have a voice in this world.
Pictured above: A PCEye device will give Holly a voice in this world.
“Tammy and Nick, Holly’s parents, have devoted every spare cent they have to provide her with the best possible nutrition, therapies, and equipment to help her little body fight all it can, but this is a “luxury” not covered by any medical aid and is just beyond their savings.” – says Kim
Thankfully, with the help of 88 generous donors, Holly’s BackaBuddy campaign has raised over R36 000, enough to purchase the PCEye device. A laptop, as well as the brackets to brace the device on Holly’s wheelchair have also kindly been donated.
“As a family, we are completely blown away by the tremendous support our BackaBuddy campaign has received. We couldn’t be more thankful to each and every donor who has come forward to help change Holly’s life for the better”, says Kim.
If any additional funds are raised, they will be used to cover the cost of the speech therapy and training Holly will need to use the device effectively, as well as contribute towards Holly’s monthly medical expenses (in the region of R30 000 a month), that are not covered by the family’s medical aid.
“We all do our best to give Holly what she needs to blossom in life. No kind gesture is wasted”, says Kim.
A photo from a couple years ago: Tammy and Nick, with their daughters, Holly and Lily.
South Africa’s leading crowdfunding platform, BackaBuddy has supported more than 10 000+ individuals and charities in setting up fundraising campaigns for medical fees, tuition and various causes in South Africa. The platform has thus far risen over R260 Million.
On the 4th of June, the owner of Jowetts Cycles, Ingrid Flint (57) from Ashburton, Pietermaritzburg was involved in a horrific, near-fatal car accident when she crashed into an 18-wheeler truck head-on while traveling to Durban on the N3.
When the paramedics arrived on the scene, Ingrid was found unconscious and had to be sedated due to the severe head and back injuries she sustained. She was then taken to ICU at St. Annes Hospital in Pietermaritzburg.
Learn more about Ingrid’s medical journey on her website here.
Ingrid’s car after her traumatic accident.
Ingrid has sadly passed away
Suffering brain damage and tremendous physical injuries, Ingrid Flint, sadly lost her life on 17 July 2021. Our heartfelt condolences go out to the Flint family.
It’s with a broken heart that we as a family want to let you know that my mom has passed away. She fought for 43 days like a soldier. I am so grateful to everyone who has stood with us and supported us.
We were able to give her the best shot at recovery as possible. Please can I ask for everyone to give us a little space to deal with this as a family. -says Ingrid’s son, Gary Flint posted on her WhatsAppgroup.
Thank you to the kind donors
A kind thank you to the generous donors, both locally and abroad, who raised over R90 000 for Ingrid’s medical treatment and recovery on BackaBuddy.
The Flint family has asked that Ingrid’s campaign be closed for any further donations.
South Africa’s leading crowdfunding platform, BackaBuddy has supported more than 10 000+ individuals and charities in setting up fundraising campaigns for medical fees, tuition and various causes in South Africa. The platform has thus far risen over R260 Million.
On 20 June 2021, Nicolaas Serfontein (36), an admired swimming teacher from Melkbosstrand Cape Town, was rushed to the emergency room at Blaauwberg Netcare Hospital, after his wife, Tina, struggled to wake him up.
Doctors soon realised after conducting two Lumbar Punctures, and several tests, including multiple CT and MRI scans, that Nicky had contracted a rare form of meningitis and was also experiencing kidney failure.
Pictured above: Nicolaas Serfontein
To save Nicky’s life, he was put on a ventilator, placed in an induced coma for 4 days, and given a number of medications and drips.
A Long road to recovery
While Nicky has moved into a medical ward, after 20 days in ICU, doctors predict that his road to rehabilitation will be a long one due to the severe medical trauma he has endured.
Nicky will soon need to begin occupational therapy as well as physiotherapy to make a full recovery and continue living life to the fullest.
Crowdfunding on BackaBuddy
To assist Nicky with his medical costs as well as his living costs for the next couple of months, a member of his family, Zaren Knight (33), has launched a crowdfunding campaign on BackaBuddy to appeal to the public for support in raising R100 000 to help Nicky get back on his feet after this traumatic and unexpected ordeal.
“Everyone knows Nicky as the kindest person with the biggest heart. He has a spirit of love and always puts others first. I always say that I’m a black-and-white person (yes and no), and Nicky is all the beautiful colours in between. He is the love of my life, and he is loved by so many. He is always ready to help someone else, but right now he needs our help. Please stand with us in prayer as now, Nicky needs our help” says Nicolaas’ wife, Tina.
Pictured above: Nicky with his wife, Tina.
Since the launch of the campaign, over R14 000 has been raised from kind contributions from 22 donors who have left warm messages of encouragement for Nicky in his time of need.
‘Running with a smile’, Zaren, who is admittedly not a trained runner, ran over 20km, around the entire Swakopmund in Namibia on the 10th July 2021, to raise funds for Nicky’s campaign, pledging to donate R100 herself, for every kilometer she completed.
Make a donation to support Nicolaas by donating here:
South Africa’s leading crowdfunding platform, BackaBuddy has supported more than 10 000+ individuals and charities in setting up fundraising campaigns for medical fees, tuition and various causes in South Africa. The platform has thus far raised over R260 Million.
In July 2020, Shaun and Bianca Pretorius from Benoni, Johannesburg, learned the devastating news that their son, Shaunie (12), a bright and happy young boy, was diagnosed with a rare, aggressive, and terminal type of brain cancer called Brainstem Glioma.
A devastatingdiagnosis
At the beginning of lockdown, Shaunie was struggling with fatigue and constant vomiting. Thinking that his condition was perhaps brought on by school stress and adapting to online learning, his parents took him to a number of doctors to see what was wrong.
Matters soon got worse when the antibiotics he was given did little to remedy his condition. Shaunie began struggling with his eyesight, had difficulty moving around and battled to communicate.
Shaunie having a CT scan at Linmed Hospital
To determine the cause of Shaunie’s rapid decline, he was taken for CT scan at Linmed Hospital in Johannesburg.
The heartbreaking results of the x-ray determined that Shaunie has a cancerous tumour in his brain stem, a fatal condition known as Brainstem Glioma, which has a median survivalrate of only 9 months.
With doctors unable to operate on Shaunie, he underwent 12 aggressive Radiation Therapy sessions to shrink his tumour and alleviate some of his pain.
To shelter Shaunie from the severity of his condition, his parents didn’t tell him that his tumour was cancerous, but he understood why he was beginning to lose his hair and that he was unwell.
“Hearing that your child, who has always been perfectly healthy, is fighting a deadly disease and only has a few months left to live is devastating. We don’t know how to tell Shaunie that he is dying. We still have hope that God will hear our prayers and that he will make it through” – his mom, Bianca said.
As there is no cure for Shaunie’s condition, he was being treated symptomatically with cannabis oil and steroids to help the swelling on his brain and increase his appetite.
Shaunie’s Birthday Wish
As only 1% of children diagnosed with Brainstem Glioma live up to 5 years, the Pretorius family focused on keeping Shaunie as healthy, as pain free and as comfortable as possible so he could enjoy the time he had left with his parents and his little brother, Mattie (3).
Shaunie with his little brother, Mattie.
Focusing on all the things that spark joy for a young boy, Shaunie’s uncle Juandre Botha launched a crowdfunding campaign on BackaBuddy, to fulfil Shaunie’s ultimate dream of owning a Playstation 5, just in time for his 12th birthday on the 9th of March.
Shaunie on his 12th Birthday
With generous support, Shaunie’s campaign raised over R24 000 and he was able to get the playstation he always longed for and was able to cover more of his medical expenses.
Shaunie playing with his brother
Update: Rest in Peace, Brave Shaunie.
On the 2nd of July 2021, Shaunie lost his battle with Brainstem Glioma.
“It is with devastating sadness that we would like to let you know that Shauni passed away in his father’s arms this morning after a year fighting Brainstem Glioma.The family’s hearts are broken and we please ask for your prayers and love for them on this most devastating day. Shauni is a hero, having fought through all this time and will be remembered as being forever young – a bright, kind and loving child who brought joy to everyone around him.Thank you to everyone for all the love and support through the year that Shauni and his family have been fighting this monster disease.Thank you to all the contributors, well wishes, prayers, blessings and kind words from you all. It is greatly appreciated.You are welcome to send us messages on this group so that we may forward on to Shauni’s family.” – A message posted on Shaunie’s Facebook group.
Create a crowdfunding campaign
South Africa’s leading crowdfunding platform, BackaBuddy has supported more than 10 000+ individuals and charities in setting up fundraising campaigns for medical fees, tuition and various causes in South Africa. The platform has thus far raised over R200 Million.
Pictured above: Holly was born with Rett Syndrome, a rare genetic neurological and developmental disorder.
Pictured above: Kim sits holding Holly and her sister, Lily, with Tammy and granny at the back.
Pictured above: A PCEye device will give Holly a voice in this world.
A photo from a couple years ago: Tammy and Nick, with their daughters, Holly and Lily.
Ingrid’s car after her traumatic accident.
The late Ingrid Flint outside her bicycle shop.
