Dear friend,
We would like to introduce you to Cadie! Cadie is currently 10, and she’s a fun-loving, awesome little person to have around. Cadie was born in 2013 and there were multiple hospitalisations for several years. In 2019, when she was six, we found out why: common variable immunodeficiency (CVID). The implications are just what they sound like. People living with CVID can’t fight off disease like they should and they are at risk with normal everyday infections that most people’s bodies can take care of. An immune system is a complex thing and the human body never does things in isolation. If one part is struggling to function, that shows in other places. In Cadie’s case, there are multiple other diagnoses both related and unrelated, to the CVID. Currently, she’s not growing as she should, and we are trying everything to help her grow beyond the height of a child in this critical time of her life. She’s also been diagnosed with the following:
Juvenile ideopathic arthritis
Asthma
Paediatric hypermobility syndrome
Paediatric pain amplification syndrome (also known as fibromyalgia)
Reflux and chronic gastritis. Visual perceptual disorders, lateral cross-dominance, proprioception dysfunction. There’s a lot going on and this child still smiles through all the needles, procedures, and therapy. She’s incredible and we are so proud of her. We’ve walked this road for a long time now. The pressure has been immense: medically, emotionally, and financially. If not for our Lord Jesus Christ and our friends and family, we don’t know how we would have coped till now. Even so, we’ve recently realized that, though we have an amazing network of people around us, we are not letting them be part of this journey with us. We’ve been going this alone to a great extent, because we don’t talk and we don’t ask. Sometimes, we would hardly tell anyone when Cadie is hospitalised and most people we know have no idea about any of this. We’ve come to realise that we need support of all sorts and we can’t do this alone. So we would like to invite you to be part of our story. Here are some things you could do:
Pray. Wow, what a difference this makes! This is what we need most of all. Ask us: “How can I help?” Sometimes, just knowing that people care, means the world. And our practical needs fluctuate. A meal, a hug, an offer to do something practical, all mean the world to us. Contribute financially. If this is on your heart and you are in the position to contribute, please know that any contribution (even the price of a cup of coffee), helps to take the pressure off for us and helps us breathe easier with all the medical bills. We have a back-a-buddy page for her and all funds are handled in an accountable way with the back-a-buddy system. Our medical needs are currently around R20,000 per month over and above what our medical aid pays. These expenses are specifically for her immunoglobulin therapies, dietary supplements, occupational therapy, biokineticist appointments, and medications. Some months are a bit less and others are a bit more. It’s such a blessing to have our beautiful Cadie around. The future is bright, and we can’t wait to see what God has planned for her life! Much love and thank you for your support,
Jaco and Felicity
