Little hero (11) succumbs to cystic fibrosis

“COME on Heinrich, you can make it! Come on boy!”

Amanda and Marius Boshoff cheered on their son, Heinrich (11), just moments before he died last week Thursday.

“We were there the whole night, cheering him on before he died. By this time he was breathing through the oxygen tank, which we were watching like a hawk,” Marius recalled.

While his oxygen kept playing cat and mouse, decreasing to five and 12 per cent at times, and then increasing to above 50 per cent, they kept on hoping.

Then, for five minutes, it reached the maximum level at 100 per cent but that would be his final breath before his spirit left his body.

Heinrich Boshoff died at 12.40am after 11 long years of battling cystic fibrosis, five years over his estimated life expectancy.

“He was our miracle child, who proved everyone wrong about when he would die. Each time he would get sick, he would fight and fight and pull through each time,” Amanda and Marius remembered.

But on that day, the little fighter’s small body couldn’t handle any more pain and suffering and he finally gave in, taking his final breath in this world. His parents, aunt and her fiancé, as well as a pastor were by his side the night he died.

Heinrich was diagnosed with the illness when he was just six months old. A doctor ran tests after he had been admitted to hospital twice for double pneumonia, the first time at three months and the second time at six months.

Cystic fibrosis is an inherited disease which causes a build up of thick, sticky mucus that can damage many of the body’s organs. Children who have it struggle to put on weight and, as a result, become skinny and appear to be much younger than their age.

Throughout his short life, Heinrich was in and out of hospital, eventually having to stop school at Laerskool Kempton Park to do home-schooling. Amanda resigned from her work so she could help him at home.

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Because his hospital stays would be so long each time, Heinrich came up with clever ways to make money, earning him the name “Little Jew” from his parents.

“He had a strategy of getting money out of his father whenever he was in hospital,” Amanda explained.

“Because Heinrich’s stays in hospital would be so long each time, I stayed overnight with him. ”But sometimes I would explain to him that mommy was tired and wanted to spend just one night at home, so he would cut a deal with his dad and said Marius needed to pay him for me to spend the night at home,” Amanda recounted, while giggling at the memory of Heinrich requesting his “payment” from his father even before speaking to him the next morning.

The bubbly boy was extremely creative and would spend his long hospital days crafting beautiful bracelets and painting key rings, which he would sell to Arwyp staff members.

His small business became so well-known that the nurses would in a way look forward to his visits, because they knew he would be making something new.

Although he was into fast cars, which he would buy model versions of with the money he made, Heinrich’s ultimate dream was to become either a veterinarian or a nature reserve guide, because of his strong love for animals. He wanted to work with animals because they never rejected him and accepted him the way he was.

“He said, unlike people, animals didn’t stare at him like there was something wrong with him,” Amanda explained.

As a result of Heinrich’s discomfort with the outside world, the family seldom went out. Instead they would spend quality time either away on holiday or at home, doing fun activities such as playing video games, while Heinrich stretched his legs back over his ears in an attempt to make his family laugh.

“He would make us laugh so much when he did that! And it’s like he knew just what to do to make us laugh. I called him my little monkey every time he did that,” Amanda said.

Being a bit of a reserved child due to his insecurities caused by his illness, the 11-year-old didn’t have many friends, just two boys at his school who became more like his brothers.

“His two closest friends, Ruan Duran and Roehan Jamneck, would wait for him every morning before school started to help him with his bags, as well as during school and between classes,” Marius said.

Even when their cherished friend had a coughing fit, they would be the ones to help him, because they knew exactly what to do.

“It was really difficult when their parents had to tell them Heinrich had died, it really crushed them.”

On Thursday night, the community held a mass patrol for Heinrich, lighting red and gold candles and leaving flowers outside the family home in Bonaero Park.

Heinrich’s parents and his 13-year-old sister, Larissa, would like to thank everyone who helped them and gave them support throughout Heinrich’s journey with his illness.

“We are so very grateful to the Arwyp medical personnel (paediatric and ICU), Dr Kwofie-Mensah (lung specialist), Dr Hennie Roelofse (paediatrician), Arno Kuhn and Madelein (physiotherapist), Brenda Leemans (his therapist), the Bonaero Park Patrollers and the local community.

“There were a lot of people who prayed with us, brought us food and just supported us in general – too many to mention. And last but not least – our families for their continuous support in this time of grieving,” the family said.

Heinrich will be buried on Thursday. The church service will start at 10am at Lofdal on Rietfontein Road, Glen Marais. The funeral procession will then proceed to Zuurfontein Cemetery, where he will be buried, and then return to the church for refreshments.