THERE is real joy behind Carrington Heights mum, Billie-Jean Kilian’s smile, and her eyes sparkle with hope and happiness as she describes the overwhelming response from Berea Mail readers to her appeal to help raise funds to send her two-year-old son, Dylan, to Cape Town to see a specialist cardiologist.
Dylan was diagnosed with a condition called Hypertrophic Obstruction Cardiomyopathy, or HOCM, which is usually only picked up in puberty. It can cause sudden death in puberty as the arteries in the heart block and oxygen isn’t able to get to the heart. Dylan’s mom, embarked on a fundraising drive selling printed mugs in a desperate attempt to raise money to get Dylan to Cape Town to see a doctor who studies HOCM.
“The response from the article has been amazing, I didn’t expect it at all,” she said, adding that she had received 200 orders for mugs following the story’s publication.
She said she had posted the article on her Facebook account and it had 15 500 views.
“My phone just went crazy. I had to start asking people to email me as I couldn’t keep up! I even had people from Pretoria contacting me to order mugs. I knew I would be busy, but this goes over and above what I expected. I enjoy working for the money though, and after the Cape Town trip we still have bills to pay at the end of the month,” she said.
But help came in other ways too. A woman from Comair in Westville read the article and contacted Billie-Jean and gave her four return tickets to Cape Town, so the family wouldn’t have to make the long drive to Cape Town by car. Other people called to say they didn’t want mugs, but just wanted to help financially.
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“I really didn’t want hand-outs, but a man contacted me and said he wanted to bless me with money for Dylan’s medical expenses in Cape Town. He said God put Dylan on his heart, and he gave me R10 000 – the exact amount I was trying to raise for the trip! I collapsed in tears, I couldn’t believe it!” she said.
She also received an offer of an donation from a company which she turned down in light of the R10 000 donation as she felt the money she had set out to collect had been raised. However, should Dylan have to return to Cape Town after his initial visit, Billie-Jean assured the company she would contact them.
“I’m extremely relieved that our accommodation, flights, a hired car and medical bills were all covered, and that we can go to Cape Town on 26 June stress free,” she said.
Any additional money made from orders would go towards the medical savings on Dylan’s medical aid.
“Depending on whether the doctor in Cape Town says Dylan can have any operations, I would like to increase the medical savings so we can have a follow up consultation for Dylan’s knees and problematic ears,” she said.
“We have been so blessed through this, it has just been amazing! I have loved meeting all the people, and have received messages from people who are praying for us, and others who have asked how Dylan is doing. Friendships have been built,” she said.
