Heart fails HTS student

Hough was a Grade 8 learner at HTS and suffered from epileptic fits every once in a while.

“He was getting treatment for it and he didn’t have them often,” says his father, Henning Hough.

His mother, Hantie Hough, says she dropped him off at school that morning between 6.30am and 7am and he was healthy.

“There wasn’t anything wrong, but about half an hour after I dropped him off, the school phoned me and said I should come to the school immediately,” says Hantie.

Paramedics took Hough to the hospital where he was declared dead.

“They tried to restart his heart on arrival at the hospital, but he was already gone,” says Hantie.

Hough’s father couldn’t immediately be there with his son as he had to drive from Witbank when he received the call.

A doctor confirmed to his parents that Hough’s heart gave in.

The cause is not yet determined and no one can say what brought it on.

Hantie says that all they know is that before he collapsed, Jan said to his friend, “I feel like I’m going to pass out”.

“He was such a gentle child, always had a smile and was always prepared to give a helping hand,” says one of his grandmothers, Ouma Meisie Pretorius.

Hough had a passion for anything with a motor in it, just like his dad.

“He had two big dreams,” says Henning, “One was to grow up, which is probably every child’s dream at his age.”

Hough’s second and biggest dream was to become a pastor.

Since the age of three, Hough told his parents that this was what he wanted to become.

“When we asked him why, he said he wanted to help people get closer to God,” says an emotional Henning.

“Jan was very clever and made the top 10 twice at his school ,” says Ouma Meisie.

“He was set on going to HTS when it came to choosing a high school,” says Henning.

“He refused to go to any other school and wanted to finish his matric there.”

The Hough’s have a daughter who is currently oversees and is on her way back home having heard the news of her younger brother.

His funeral will take place on Friday at 11am at the Reformed Church in Petersfield.