Paralysed Pretoria teen makes miraculous recovery
Giovanni Hendriks started breathing on his own on Tuesday, amid fears that he would die earlier that day.
Giovanni Hendriks in hospital. Photo: Supplied
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.
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“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.
Fellow classmates showing their support for Giovanni. Photo: Supplied
Elize said Giovanni had been diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) nine years ago.
GBS is a rare neurological disorder in which the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks part of its peripheral nervous system—the network of nerves located outside the brain and spinal cord.
He was again diagnosed with the syndrome last week when doctors noticed that he had an infection in his nerve points, upon which he went for an MRI scan at Steve Biko academic hospital.
“On the 25th he came home and said he felt drained, adding that it was like he had no strength left in him,” she said.
“He was very scared that the syndrome would come back one day.”
Elize said within half an hour, Giovanni’s condition had worsened.
“He started to struggle to swallow,” she said.
Giovanni is currently in ICU at Kalafong Hospital.
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