Jordan was born at 30 weeks because his Mom went into Pre-Eclampsia. She is a heart failure patient, who received a Miracle by falling pregnant for the first time at the age of 38 years old. Jordan was born normal, but prematurely, because of his Mother’s bad heart. He weighed 1.1kg at birth. During his stay in the NICU of a Private hospital in Linksfield in Johannesburg, he got infected with septicemia twice, because of infected needles used by a surgeon, and he contracted Kidney failure as a result of antibiotics being put into his system from 2 days old.
He had many blood transfusions and then, three months later, he was discharged with full-blown Meningitis. The Neurosurgeon, who admitted him to a better Hospital, said that he must have had the Viral and Bacterial Meningitis, for more than 4 weeks, as it totally destroyed his Brain. He was diagnosed with Hydrocephalus and admitted and treated with more antibiotics to kill the infections before he could implant a VP shunt into then 2.2kg little Jordan.
Jordan went home for the first time, at the age of 6 months old. He was no longer a normal premature baby. His Mother was told that she would be considered “lucky” if Jordan ever got to grow to 10 years old and that Jordan will never sit by himself, or see or walk or talk, or eat or drink by himself. Jordan went home, with a Big Black space of Water in his Scull where his normal and healthy brain use to be. Today Jordan and his Mom, sit on a farm, far outside the nearest little town called Nelspruit, in a Province called Mpumalanga. Going from a working and Self-sustaining, independent woman in her mid-30’s, to a lonely ever-working mother of a Severely Disabled child in Rural Mpumalanga.
Being a Single Parent of a severely Disabled child is a 24 hour, intense, stressful job. She gets no break or holiday when everybody else is celebrating Christmas and New Year and birthday parties. Or going shopping or showering, or for walks on the beach, she is constantly sitting by Jordan’s bed, feeding him through a tube or giving him water through his tube. Jordan is currently not getting any therapy or stimulation, as his Mother does not have a car anymore. She had to sell her’s, while pregnant with Jordan, to pay to upgrade the medical aid, as well as to sustain the medical aid, while not working, as she could not work while pregnant with heart failure.
Jordan needs a few things:
1. His Mom needs a car to be able to take him to the Hospital or his Doctor in town when he needs to go. She currently has to phone someone for a lift to the hospital, when Jordan has his Spastic attacks.
2. Jordan needs therapy with Trained and Experienced Therapists on a weekly basis. There are none currently in Nelspruit, which is trained and experienced enough, in Jordan’s condition. Jordan and his Mom are looking to move to Cape Town or Pretoria, to be near Experienced Therapists for his condition. But need to find a Home in one of these cities, first. She does not work, as Jordan needs 24/7 care.
3. A Standing Frame. Sitwell and Rifton make standing frames for Spastic CP children like Jordan. These Standing frames cost between R45, 000 and R150, 000.
4. A corrected bath or a Bath chair. Jordan weighs around 13-15kg, and his Mom can no longer bath him. She takes care of Jordan by herself 24/7 and bathing becomes a weekly event. She no longer has the strength to do it.
5. Jordan’s Mom is in desperate need of assistance with him. Even if it is only to give her a break to shower or brush her teeth.
Please help Jordan and his Mom, Teresa, in whichever way, you are capable of.
Thank you.