Little warrior shows signs of strength after weeks in ICU

Update

GEORGE NEWS - With every small movement, the 15-month-old Juván Havenga from Wilderness is proving that miracles do happen.

Now breathing on his own, free of tubes and wires, and growing stronger with each passing day, baby Juván is slowly beginning to reclaim his world one tiny milestone at a time.

For the first time in weeks, his mother, Adelizé, was able to hold him without the barrier of machines and monitors. "A small thing to some, but for us, it was huge," she said from the paediatric ICU in Cape Town. "His little body curled up against mine, his tiny hand wrapped around my finger … no tubes between us, just love."

This moment came shortly after Juván was extubated on 30 June. He now breathes with the support of high-flow oxygen and is daily building up his strength, working on head control and eye co-ordination, and even managing a bit of tummy time.

Also, after six long weeks apart, Juván's sister could finally physically see her baby brother.

Diagnosed with autoimmune enteropathy (AIE), a rare and life-threatening condition that prevents his body from absorbing food, Juván relies entirely on total parenteral nutrition (TPN) delivered through a Broviac line directly into his heart. A recent EEG scan confirmed there is no brain damage, a huge relief after the trauma he endured in May.

Back then, complications from a dislodged line led to kidney failure, sepsis, metabolic acidosis, respiratory arrest and cardiac arrest. He was resuscitated and spent 16 days on a ventilator.

Right now, he is still receiving oral nutrition via a nasogastric (NG) tube, and his care team, including neurophy-siotherapists and speech therapists, is supporting him daily in their efforts for him to regain his ability to be fed by bottle.

"Every 2ml, 4ml or 7ml he manages to take orally is a victory," says Adelizé. "But he cannot thrive on 2ml of Neocate alone. The NG tube is only a temporary solution, and we're actively discussing long-term feeding support to give him the proper nutrition he needs."

Help us fight for Juván

The Havenga family have already spent well over R390 000 on medical and living expenses.

They now face mounting costs for specialist therapy, medical supplies, travel, accommodation near Mediclinic Panorama, and basic items not covered by medical aid.