GEORGE NEWS - A 15-month-old toddler from Wilderness, Juván Havenga, who has been fighting for his life in hospital, has retaken his first independent breaths after 13 days of sedation and multiple back-to-back anaesthetics.
His mother, Adelizé, shared the joyful update on Facebook this morning Friday 20 June.
“Juván is out of theatre and safely extubated! Our warrior is breathing on his own again, with just a little help from high flow for support. But he is doing it! He is here! He is strong! I couldn’t hold back the tears when I heard his little cry again. That sound was the most beautiful music to my heart.”
Juván's story began nearly a year ago when he was diagnosed with autoimmune enteropathy (AIE), an extremely rare and chronic condition where the immune system attacks the small intestine.
What started as a seemingly routine case of rotavirus in June 2024 quickly turned into a prolonged and complex medical battle involving TPN feeding, genetic testing, and multiple hospital stays.
After months at Mediclinic Panorama under the care of a paediatric gastroenterologist, a diagnosis finally brought clarity and direction to Juván’s complex condition.
But serious complications continued to threaten his fragile life, including kidney failure, sepsis, and, most critically, cardiac arrest on 8 June this year.
Just days ago, the outlook was grim. The storm hit the Havenga family with full force. Kidney failure. Sepsis. Metabolic acidosis. Respiratory arrest. Cardiac arrest.
The medical team fought to resuscitate him, and succeeded, but on 9 June, doctors asked the family to prepare for the worst.
“If you cannot go on, Mommy understands. But if you can fight, Mommy will fight with you,” Adelizé told her son.
Then came a miracle. Against all odds, Juván pulled through and he began to urinate, a sign that his metabolic balance was returning.
Today, more than a week later, Juván is still here, and he is recovering.
“This is a moment we prayed for. A moment we’ll never forget. Thank you to every incredible doctor, professor, nurse, and therapist who stood by him. Your hands carried him, but we know who holds him. Thank you, Lord,” Adelizé posted on Juván's Facebook page, Juván's Miracle Mission.
This is a developing story. Read more about Juván in next week's George Herald and online.
‘We bring you the latest Garden Route, Hessequa, Karoo news’
