Good Morning Angels: 14-year-old Tryston on the road to recovery after freak accident

BACKGROUND: He is the eldest of Jan and Michelle Jansen van Vuuren’s two sons. On Monday, 13 September - early on the school morning, Tryston’s parents got a call from the school:  “Your son got hurt due to a tyre that fell on him.” They weren’t prepared for what they found when they rushed to pick him up. Tryston and his friends were playing with a huge tyre before school and it fell on him, crushing his pelvis and fracturing a disc in his neck. His bladder was torn - he was in excruciating pain. Tryston was airlifted to an Alberton hospital and admitted to the trauma unit. 

Initially, it was thought that he would have to spend six to eight weeks in bed, but Tryston is back home and has already started walking short distances with the help of a walking frame. "I never thought my son would be my role model”, says Jan. “He is so positive and grounded in his faith … he takes this with a smile on his face and like a champ”. He still has two catheters and will need another operation to his bladder. His parents and 6-year old brother do all they can to care for him and their neighbours are helping to renovate the bathroom to convert the bath to a shower. Tryston will need intensive rehabilitation and therapy. 

The family has thanked the EG Jansen School community, their family and friends for rallying around them. While large sums of his treatment costs have been covered by their medical aid, the co-payments and other expenses are piling up. Tryston’s medical treatment crowd funding page has reached R34 000 of the R50 000 target - but Jan admits, he has no idea what lies ahead …  and that’s why Jan reached out to Good Morning Angels. 

REQUEST FOR: 14-year-old Tryston Jansen van Vuuren

REQUEST FROM: Jan and Michelle Jansen van Vuuren

ANGEL 1: Dr Mario Greyling, CEO, Claytoncare Group 

SPONSORING: Claytoncare Group specialise in medically complex Rehabilitation. They have invited Tryston to their Johannesburg facility, where he will be admitted, properly assessed and receive the full complement of rehab to help him heal and walk again. (Cost per day is R3800 - R4600) 

ANGEL 2: The Good Morning Angels Fund NPC

SPONSORING: The GMA Fund will assist the Jansen van Vuuren family with R20 000 to help with Tryston’s medical needs and treatment costs.

ORIGINAL REQUEST:

Good Morning Angels,

Hope all is well. Sorry to bother you. I don’t know which way to go any more.

My name is Jan Jansen v Vuuren. You might have heard of my son, Tryston the boy that was crushed under the earth moving tire at school. He was on the front page of the newspaper on the 15 Sep 2021 and yesterday as well.

My boy was airlifted to a Hospital trauma-unit in Alberton, when this happened. He broke his pelvis, cracked his neck and ripped his uterus pipe from his bladder.  He is 14 years old and he takes this with a smile on his face and like a champ.

Our medical aid does not cover all costs and we have started a Back-a-Buddy account to raise funds. He is home now, but we go through medical supplies like dressings like you can’t believe. It takes 16 plasters to re-dress the wound, as well as dressings and ointments. He still has 2 catheters in and they need replacing now and then as well.

He has a wheelchair at this moment and a walker. He has started walking short distances again. We had to renovate the bathroom to accommodate him with money we don’t actually have.  

To put the cherry on top, now his little brother of 6 is sick for 4 days already. We had him at the doctor where we had to pay cash - we just can’t anymore. Four months ago, the whole family had Covid 19 and this now  - ag I really hope you guys can help.

Feel free to contact me, there is a lot more to all of this.

Thank you so much, 

Regards 

Jan Jansen v Vuuren