A 19-year-old from Raslouw in Centurion, who was involved in a tragic motorbike accident earlier this year, has faced challenges that would test even the strongest of wills.
Jaden Swanepoel is one of five kids and was adopted in 2004 when he was 11 months old.
His mother, Jerlaine, described him as an entrepreneurial thinker and go-getter who is always eager to make a difference.
She said when he was a kid, they believed that Swanepoel would be an introvert, but as he grew older he started coming out of his shell.
Jaden completed Grade 12 in 2022 at Midrand High School and started working at a retail store in the area in March 2023.
“He wanted to have his own stream of income so that he could alleviate the pressure off of us,” said Jerlaine.
In late 2023, Swanepoel moved and started working at another establishment.
His accident occurred on May 20 on a Monday evening as he was going back home from work.
“He was travelling towards where we stay, but as he tried crossing the street, he got hit by a car.”
She said he was hospitalised on May 20 and stayed in the intensive care unit (ICU) until July 1.
Jerlaine said when they got to the hospital, they found out that Jaden had fractured his hip bone.
He also had multiple injuries to his lungs and rib cage, and the doctors had to put him into an induced coma.
“After multiple scans, the doctors picked up that he had suffered a traumatic brain injury, and that is what he is currently facing at the moment,” she said.
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She said he was moved out of the ICU on July 2 because of the high risk of infections that he would get there.
“He was moved to a rehabilitation centre in Arcadia so that he could receive help with his speech as well as occupational and physiotherapy, which would stimulate the brain so that he could be able to walk, talk, swallow, and grab things again.”
Jerlaine said he cannot walk or talk at the moment and is currently bedridden.
She added that he eats through a tube because he is unable to swallow.
“The most challenging part about Swanepoel’s hospitalisation was seeing him on a ventilator.”
She said it was always scary to leave him at the hospital because they would often wonder if he would wake up to see the next day or the next hour.
“Seeing him in the ICU was hard because Jaden was one of the youngest people in his ward, and during that time there were already four people who had passed on,” said Jerlaine.
She said after two weeks of Swanepoel being back home, they could see a positive difference in his condition.
Jerlaine said the entire experience was an eye-opener and allowed them to reflect as a family so that they never take anything for granted.
“When Jaden was still in hospital, my husband and I would ask ourselves multiple questions, such as what we did wrong as parents, why this was happening to us, and why we were being punished,” she said.
“This journey has also turned our lives around. We have a new appreciation for life, and the way we communicate as a family has also gotten better.”
Jerlaine said she hopes that Swanepoel will be able to walk and speak by this time next year.
“He is very resilient and strong, and I believe that he will be able to get through this and bounce back much stronger.”
“To any family that is going through the same situation as us, I encourage you to be strong,” said Jerlaine.
She said families should stick together in such difficult times and never allow such an experience to break them.
Jerlaine also encouraged any person going through a difficult time to get counselling so that they can get better.
Residents can help by reaching out to Jaden’s family via Backabuddy.
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