Donations flock for baby Caylum after 947 Breakfast Express steps in

Let’s all unite to #GetCaylumToBoston

August 5, 2016

SHERNOVIA REDDY 3 minutes read

LOVE: Baby Caylum feels mom Samantha's love.

FRIDAY kicked off a good start to Samantha and Wayne Willemse’s (parents to baby Caylum Willemse) weekend after people bombarded the 947 Breakfast Express this past week in order to get Darren “Whackhead” Simpson’s attention, and it worked.

@WhackheadS Please help get little boy get to Boston #getcaylumtoboston #mamahoodgauteng pic.twitter.com/LuiWPoIwLr

— Candice Adams (@CandicAdams) August 4, 2016

Simpson noticed the public’s call to help baby Caylum after several tweets and messages to him and the show. Simpson was compelled to help support baby Caylum in his fight for survival and made contact with the 29-year-old mother of seven-month-old baby Caylum.

The RECORD reported on Caylum’s story on our front page of July 13.

https://twitter.com/WhackheadS/status/761313733582913537

LISTEN: Samantha Willemse on the 947 Breakfast Express with Darren “Whackhead” Simpson

Caylum was born on January 12, 2016 and was diagnosed with TOF and OA by Netcare’s Dr Charles Caraphinha, and later diagnosed with tracheobronchomalacia.

A child who has a problem with the oesophagus (the feeding tube) and the trachea (the windpipe), is called tracheo-oesophageal fistula (TOF) and oesophageal atresia (OA).

The fistula is a connection between the trachea and the oesophagus, which may lead to problems with breathing. An atresia means that there is no way for food to pass into the stomach, due to the gap between the upper and the lower parts of the oesophagus.

Caylum has been in hospital since March 20 and in ICU since May 9. He has gone for an aortapexy for the tracheamalacia and still has recurring episodes where he stops breathing.

Now living in Meyersdal, the couple tracked down Doctor Rusty Jennings, from Boston, Massachusetts. Unfortunately, the estimated costs involved in getting Caylum this help is approximately 500 000 dollars.

After panicking during the past week as clues and hints drew them one step closer to being featured on the 947 Breakfast Express, the couple received a call on Friday morning, August 5 at about 07:45 as they were preparing to go to the hospital. Overwhelmed, and with Darren Simpson on the other end and speaking live about her son’s condition, Samantha couldn’t help but burst into tears.

This amazing outreach on the 947 show sparked many people to reach out their helping hands. Since then Bidvest has donated R50 000 to the Caylum Willemse Foundation and challenged others to match or raise that price.

https://twitter.com/WhackheadS/status/761440913902174208

Speaking to the RECORD Samantha said the highlight of the show was when Dr Glenn Staples called into the show to help the couple by saying that they specialise in these cases and would be able to help the couple cut the costs of the procedure in Boston by 30 per cent to 60 per cent. This includes hospital costs, air ambulance costs and so on.

LISTEN: Contributing to baby Caylum on the 947 Breakfast Express

Because of this great work the couple is “walking in faith” and is one step closer to getting baby Caylum to Boston.

Thank you @WhackheadS and Breakfast express for sharing Caylum's story! #getcaylumtoboston https://t.co/8p7o0FTFof pic.twitter.com/HURgLWplM8

— Help4CaylumWillemse (@Help_4_Caylum) August 5, 2016

The couple thanks chairperson of the Caylum Willemse Foundation, Kelly Caden and volunteer, Adriaan Gerber for their continued support and guidance.

“What we are going through is not a feeling that any parent should have and we want to help others. The situation that Caylum is struggling with is real and we want to help every other child who may be suffering like Caylum is,” said father of Caylum, Wayne Willemse.

The 7.6kg soldier will be seven months on August 12 and with the South of Johannesburg behind the Willemses we are hoping baby Caylum will soon be on his way to Boston.

To read more about Caylum and find out exactly what went on social media this past week go to our websites and find the full story with videos and the full interview on the 947 Breakfast Express Show.

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