“We were told there is a 50/50 chance of survival for Nathan. I couldn’t see him as he was put onto life support and taken to NICU straight away.
The next day we were told because of us being in lockdown because of covid we will only be allowed to see him 15 minutes a day each. That broke our hearts because not only do we first have to put hygienic gear on before we go in but scrub down too,” says his mother. The little boy’s first month of life was filled with various medical procedures, as he got yellow jaundice when he was five days old and later had to be put on a wiggle machine to loosen the mucus on his lungs. “He had EEG machines connected to him twice as he was having small seizures and they needed to know why. His body swelled quite often because of his body needing something or it being from the medicines that caused water retention. He had a lumber punch done at only 22 days old,” says his mother.
At 27 days old it was, however, confirmed that Nathan had brain damage. After this he had numerous visits from the cardiologist, the lung specialist and eye doctor, as well as, among other things, seven blood transfusions.
He only came off life support almost two months after being born, but until today still needs oxygen, especially at night as his oxygen levels drop.
According to his mother they however had “awesome memories” as a family in this time.
His parents were ecstatic when they could pick him up at a month old.
“Most things we did weren’t always allowed but we had great nurses that felt sorry for us and just gave us a few minutes, like picking him up, photos and even just stealing a few more minutes with him. We also only got to hear his voice, his cry almost two months after he was born because of the life support pipes going down his throat,” says his mother. During his second months doctors found a hole in his heart and had to test him for various diseases as they struggled to get him to breathe property on his own. He also had operations done to remove three hernias that he had gotten and many visits from the physiotherapist for his lungs. Nathan’s family could take him home at five months, and he still needed a lot of special care.
“We adapted and even though it was hard, it sort of become our way of life and we were just glad to have Nathan with us day and night. We started realizing that, the older he was getting the more he loved to laugh and smile. When he found his voice, oh my word we just couldn’t get him to stop babbling. That’s when people started saying he is an inspiration as he has been through so much. Needles, tests, doctors and nurses yet he always smiles. He is really a happy child and very seldom cries,” says Natasha.
“Exactly 14 months after being born he went for the MRI that we had been fighting for by the medical aid and trying to raise funds for and we were told he has neuro migrational disorder and his PVL that he was already diagnosed with. His brain never fully developed and because of that he may never walk or grow fully.” “We were stressing already when we found out that the medical aid wasnt going to pay for the full MRI, how we were going to afford it as my husband lost his job due to Çovid and I couldn’t go work further because of circumstances,” says his mother. Although her father helped with expenses, he was diagnosed with brain cancer and now cannot help because of his own medical expenses. Meanwhile Nathan still needs to be taken to a pediatric neurologist who has to advise on how to treat him further. He also needs to go for further tests and special physiotherapy. “Everything is just so on us and we don’t know which way anymore. We were not expecting a special needs baby or Covid to happen, and us as parents would really like to give our best to our little boy. He deserves that. I believe he is going to be a testimony one day to many and he will show everyone that God can do wonders,” she says. Anyone who can assist the family, must contact Natasha at 072 464 9278.
