NATIONAL NEWS - A paralysed Pretoria West boy has shown a miraculous turnaround to his condition.
18-year-old Giovanni Hendriks of Danville, west of Pretoria, started breathing on his own on Tuesday, his emotional father Giani said, adding that the family had feared he would die earlier in the day, he told Pretoria Moot Rekord.
“We thought that he wouldn’t make it. His whole face was blue, including his arms,” Giani said.
“He was also moaning that he couldn’t breathe, but luckily the doctors were able to stabilise him.”
When Giovanni’s parents returned to the hospital at 18:00, Giovanni had started to breathe on his own.
“The doctors explained to us exactly how the machines Giovanni was connected to work and if the bar was yellow, Giovanni was breathing on his own.
“The bar was yellow during the whole time we were there.”
However, this was not the only “miracle” the family experienced on Tuesday.
“His left lung had collapsed due to an infection, but when the doctors did another set of x-rays, it showed it was now back up to its original position,” he said.
Giani said Giovanni’s eyes were also functioning better.
“He is already able to open his right eye about halfway,” he said.
Giovanni was also able to move his jaw and tongue.
“It actually looks like he wants to speak with us,” he said.
“We trusted in God for a miracle on his birthday and, as always, He came through for us.”
Giovanni celebrated his birthday on Tuesday in the ICU.
Giani thanked everyone for their prayers and continuous support.
Previously, Pretoria Moot Rekord reported that Giovanni came home from Hoërskool Tuine on February 25 to tell his mother, Elize, that he was not feeling well.
