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6 THE <strong>BUGLE</strong> FRIDAY 2 SEPTEMBER <strong>2016</strong><br />
Low Impact<br />
Exercise for<br />
Pregnant Women<br />
INDOOR HEATED POOLS<br />
Local mother seeks<br />
kidney donor for son<br />
JEAN van Heerden wonders<br />
if she will be lucky for a second<br />
time and that somebody<br />
will come forward with the gift<br />
of a kidney that will probably<br />
save the life of her 25-yearold<br />
son Jeandrè and allow<br />
him to lead a normal life.<br />
Jeandre received a donor kidney<br />
in 1998.<br />
'The kidney that was transplanted<br />
needs to be<br />
replaced...his second kidney<br />
is not functional,' said Jean.<br />
She said Jeandrè has been<br />
given six months to find a<br />
donor kidney by Nephrologist<br />
Doctor Kevin Govender before<br />
he is put on dialysis.<br />
The nephrologist saw Jeandrè<br />
last month at the Renal<br />
Unit in King and told the family<br />
that a donor kidney was<br />
needed for Jeandre as soon<br />
as possible.<br />
'The news shocked me and I<br />
wake up every morning wondering<br />
if a donor will come<br />
forward to save my son’s life<br />
a second time.'<br />
Jeandrè was born a healthy<br />
baby in 1991 and up until the<br />
age five when he became ill<br />
with a urinary tract infection<br />
which resulted in an operation<br />
to drain the urine from<br />
the bladder.<br />
'He had refluxes of his urethral<br />
valves which caused the<br />
urine to push back into the<br />
kidneys,' said Jean.<br />
'In January 1992 he developed<br />
severe infection<br />
through the opening resulting<br />
in damage to the kidney and<br />
was admitted at Frere Hospital<br />
in East London where he<br />
fought for his life but through<br />
God’s mercy he survived,'<br />
said Jean.<br />
Jeandre had a second operation<br />
in 1996 at Frere with<br />
Doctor Mark Painter monitoring<br />
his kidney functions.<br />
“After several months he was<br />
seen by the urologist Doctor<br />
Charles Krull where he explained<br />
to me that Jeandrè<br />
needed a kidney,” she added.<br />
“We went to Red Cross Hospital<br />
in Cape Town for a work<br />
up and the Lord has always<br />
been by my side after the<br />
whole King community, former<br />
school friends and clubs<br />
blessed us with donations.”<br />
She said under the leadership<br />
of Reverend Gareth Sincock<br />
and his team (Colin<br />
Ruiters, Naomi Primo and<br />
Gladys Brecht) a Jeandrè<br />
van Heerden Fund was established<br />
with a First National<br />
Bank account.<br />
“We had to go to Cape Town<br />
every three months and Jeandrè<br />
was put on a waiting list<br />
but his condition deterioted<br />
gradually,' a tearful Van<br />
Heerden said.<br />
“In 1998 my prayer was answered<br />
when a Professor Gilbert<br />
called late one evening<br />
instructing us to get Jeandre<br />
to Grootte Schuur Hospital<br />
as soon as possible.' said<br />
Jean.<br />
“The transplant was done on<br />
1st May 1998 and after a<br />
week my son was back at<br />
Red Cross.”<br />
She said after the operation<br />
Doctor Morris Levy, a paediatrition<br />
specialist looked after<br />
him at Frere Hospital until he<br />
Jeandre was 18 years after<br />
which he was referred to the<br />
Renal Unit and underwent<br />
treatment for seven years.<br />
“Jeandrè is a miracle child<br />
and needs a life donor; his<br />
blood group is O-pos. His<br />
eldest sister has high blood<br />
pressure and is not a suitable<br />
donor.<br />
“There must be someone out<br />
there that can help, I received<br />
overwhelming support<br />
during our first ordeal and will<br />
again count on you to save<br />
my son!!!”<br />
Anyone wishing to contribute<br />
or assist can call Jean van<br />
Heerden on 073 421 9480
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