Good Morning Angels: Helping parents after tragically losing their seven-year-old son

GOOD MORNING ANGELS 14 MARCH 2018 (CJ/CENTURION COUNTRY CLUB)

BACKGROUND: 

Their 7-year old son, CJ died in hospital in Randfontein, on 12 January this year. Jan and Charlene lives with Jan’s mom, as they sold most of what they had to pay for CJ’s medical treatment. 

It started on New Years’ day last year. CJ was having fun with family and friends on the jumping castle, when he passed out … 

His face turned blue and they rushed him to hospital - where he stayed in ICU for more than a week: he had a heart attack!

After he returned home, CJ received therapy and recovered well. 

With the help of the community and wiping out all their savings, Charlene and Jan paid the R100 000,00 medical bill - as their medical cover was not sufficient.

Charlene and Jan took out comprehensive medical aid, but CJ’s condition was excluded for a penalty period, as it was deemed a pre-consisting condition.

It was established that CJ was suffering from a genetic disorder, LQTS syndrome, a condition that he was born with.

On Christmas Day last year, it happened again: CJ collapsed and again was rushed to hospital while Jan did CPR.

There was no space in a State facility and again CJ was admitted to a private hospital.

This time however, he did not go home.

On 12 January 2018, Charlene and Jan had to make the difficult decision to switch off the machines that were keeping their 7-year old son alive … he was gone less than an hour later.

Amid the devastating loss of their son, they also have to cope with the financial debt, after doing their best they could … they still owe R500 000,00 to various health service providers.

YOU CAN HELP:

Please make a donation towards CJ’s medical bills - to the Good Morning Angels Fund - using the reference: #CJ

Account Name:  JACFM GMA

Bank:                  FNB

Account:             62411883590

Branch Code:     255005

Reference:        #CJ

REQUEST FOR:  Charlene and Jan Kotzé

ANGEL: Sue Smith, Ladies Golf-president of the Centurion Country Club ladies club

SPONSORING: The ladies golfers of the Centurion Country Club will contribute R63 000 from their Women’s Day fundraiser towards the medical bills for CJ’s treatment.

Listen to the heartwarming moment below: 

ORIGINAL REQUEST:

Good Morning Angels 

I am a Mother in need …

On the 12 of January 2018 we lost our son. He had a rare heart disorder called LQTS syndrome. 

It started on 1st January 2017. He just passed out during a fun day full of excitement: jumping castles, visiting family and friends.

7-year old CJ Kotze had a cardiac arrest. He was declared dead on arrival at the hospital.

He was taken to casualties were they struggled for 10min and managed to get a heartbeat using a shock machine.

With the help of the doctors, we managed to keep him in casualties at a Hospital in Kempton Park.  We had a medical cover that we thought was a medical aid - so we took him to this private hospital because it was near where we were visiting. The medical cover did not cover the ICU, so they kept him in the casualties. We managed to get R20 000.00 for him to go to ICU.  They kept him there for 8 days, before he came home. He only needed therapy. 

The hospital bill came to just over R 100 000,00 - which we managed to pay with the help of the community. 

This was CJ Kotze in hospital in 2017

On Christmas day last year, we had a lovely day - but it turned into a nightmare.

CJ had another cardiac arrest. We rushed him to a hospital in Randfontein - the nearest private hospital we could.

They tried to get space for him in a State hospital, but all of them were completely full - no paediatric ICU.

He was admitted to ICU at a private hospital to stabilise him and then to transport him by an intensive care ambulance. 

We had to put down a deposit of R80 000,00 - which we did not have. They agreed that we could pay off the money. 

The first 2 days he looked at us - there was eye-contact. After that it just went worse and worse: all CJ’s organs collapsed and his lungs could not breathe on their own.

He was kept alive by machines. The doctor did a CT scan on him and found that he had a clot in the left side of his heart.

CJ had another cardiac arrest and the clot shot into pieces and went straight to his brain. He had the worse fits ever and no temperature control, no involuntary movements, nothing.

The doctor gave him two weeks at most. We had to decide to switch the machines off.  Less than an hour later, CJ wasn’t there any more...    

I am coming to you as a mother, pleading for help with the outstanding medical bills.

We have a three year old daughter, Megan.We don’t earn much and we don’t have a home - we live with my husband’s mother.  

Please please help us.

Kind Regards & Blessings 

Charlene Kotze​