Tristan’s fighting spirit
With such dedication, love and support, miracles are possible.
In November 2014 when Tristan James Sellwig was four years old, he nearly lost his life.
He narrowly escaped drowning in a swimming pool, but today he is doing remarkably well.
At the time Tristan and his brother Paul, now seven years old, visited their grandmother in Rant-en-Dal in Krugersdorp. She found him on the bottom of the swimming pool when she went looking for him.
The gardener jumped into the pool and brought him to the surface, where his grandmother and aunt gave him mouth to mouth resuscitation. They did not know how long Tristan had been in the water.
Emergency services battled for 45 minutes before he was brought back to life. They rushed him to Netcare Garden City Hospital, where he remained until 2 December when he was transferred to the Netcare Auckland Park Rehabilitation Hospital. He remained there until March 2015.
At that stage Tristan’s over-all function was very limited. Paul Sellwig, 45, his father, said Tristan has come far since then, and with all the rehabilitation, love, attention and care, he is making good progress. Tristan’s response to instruction has increased dramatically, and he now is able to differentiate between sounds and colours.
Paul is taking care of Tristan and his brother by himself, which is a hefty task he does not complain about. Tristan’s food is measured in kilojoules, so that the plug for his night feed does not pull out of his stomach.
Paul’s dedication and love for his son are obvious when he showed the Herald the different nutrients that goes into the nutritional feeder. He prepares all Tristan’s food himself, and works from 4am in the morning to be able to spend more time with Tristan and his brother.
Tristan attends Pathways School in Florida, and Paul said every little improvement in Tristan is a major breakthrough. He believes that in time anything can happen, and with Tristan’s fighting spirit he only can get better.
Tristan has a beautiful personality, and he has a keen sense of humour and understanding of jokes. With such dedication, love and support, miracles are possible.
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Also read:
Goeie nuus oor Tristan na swembadongeluk
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