Young girl fights rare neurological disease

GEORGE NEWS - A young girl from George, Dejané de Bruin (12), was recently transferred to the Aurora Rehabilitation Hospital in Gqeberha where she is fighting a very rare disease, Transverse Myelitis (TM).

TM is a neurological condition that affects around 1 400 people a year worldwide.

The condition is caused by inflammation of the spinal cord that damages the myelin sheath, the covering around the nerve cells in your spinal cord, thereby interrupting the signals between spinal nerves and the rest of the body.

This can lead to problems such as loss of sensation, movement and bladder control. About a third of people diagnosed with TM recover, although it can take months to even years and some recover with moderate disabilities.

According to Angelique Botha, the family friend who opened a BackaBuddy account for Dejané, there is still a long, difficult road ahead for this young fighter and her parents.

"The medical aid is sometimes difficult and there are many items and bills that are not fully covered. We therefore opened a BackaBuddy account for Dejané to help make the road ahead a little easier," says Botha.

Dejané’s mother briefly spoke to George Herald this morning and said she is overwhelmed by the number of people who are willing to assist. According to her, Dejané’s father is with her in Gqeberha, while she is at home with their son who is currently writing exams.

Anyone wishing to contribute towards Dejané’s recovery can scan the QR code to Dejané’s BackaBuddy account, or go to bit.ly/3gFe2bD.

All funds go towards what is not covered by the medical aid, as well as extra expenses such as travel and accommodation for her and her parents to and from hospitals.