At nearly nine years of age, Jordan has been through a slew of operations, with ever-mounting medical bills piling up at his mother, Teresa’s door. Little Jordan is well known and loved by the Lowveld.
However, times are tough for this family of two as Teresa faces a daily battle with medical bills and finding funds to help her and her son survive. Jordan’s journey has been a long and difficult one. He was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at the age of six months after he had stayed in NICU for three months. This is where he contracted septicaemia and meningitis. These two infections caused hydrocephalus, and he developed brain damage due to meningitis that was unattended to for four weeks.
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Having over six operations to date, Jordan was only two years old when his feeding tube was implanted directly into his stomach so his mother could feed him without him choking. Teresa is Jordan’s full-time caregiver and cannot work as a result of this. She lives in a first-floor apartment in town with Jordan.
The single mother said that while the apartment had been a godsend, some recent and concerning news about Teresa’s own health has made this arrangement a little tricky.
“I will be needing open-heart surgery sooner rather than later.”
She said with Jordan being almost nine, coupled with her weakening heart, moving up and down the stairs to the apartment has become a mammoth task.
“The local community of Mbombela has been absolutely amazing, and for me to be able to live in this apartment with Jordan has been wonderful. I am extremely grateful for it all,” said Teresa.
“I just cannot move Jordan up and down the stairs easily any longer, especially with my heart condition.
“The people of Mbombela have carried us for over nine years. Everything I have and give to Jordan is from the kind-hearted community that helps us. I cannot thank everyone enough for all the help they have given, and if it weren’t for the community, we would not be here today,” she said.
Teresa is once again appealing to members of the public to open their hearts and assist wherever they can with mounting medical bills, and a more accessible and safe place to stay.
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“I have to pay cardiologists, orthopaedic surgeons, and I need to pay for blood tests and so on,” she said.
Should anyone be able to help little Jordan and his mother, please contact Teresa on 060 719 1947.
* The family requested that their surnames not be included.
