Caylum’s operation date moved to December

The 10-month-old baby and his parents were due to leave for Boston on November 9, but due to unforeseen circumstances their departure date was rescheduled to November 27.

The operation was originally scheduled for tomorrow (November 18), but the family is content with the new arrangements.

Read: Caylum’s Boston trip is delayed due to hospital visit

Caylum’s father, Wayne Willemse (25), says the procedure is called a posterior tracheomalacia and the estimated time for the operation is eight to 18 hours.

The operation will be done by Dr Russell Jennings, the director of the oesophageal and airway treatment centre at Boston Children’s Hospital.

According to Wayne, they were in contact with the hospital co-ordinator to discuss the operation’s date.

It was during that conversation, when the coordinator felt it best to rather leave South Africa seven days before the operation.

Read: Video: Date set for Caylum’s operation

“The co-ordinator asked us to move our departure date to after Thanksgiving celebrations, on November 23,” says Wayne.

Caylum was born with an abnormal connection between his oesophagus and the windpipe, called a tracheo-oesphageal fistula (TOF), as well as oesophageal atresia (OA).

TOF is an abnormal connection between the oesophagus and the trachea, while OA is when the oesophagus develops in two parts, meaning food can’t reach the stomach.

“We feel positive about the operation and are forever grateful for the assistance of everyone thus far, to make this operation possible,” says Wayne.