Onderberger needs life-changing jaw surgery
Adam Bourdillion has been struggling to eat all his life due to jaw problems but serious surgery could fix it. Adam's body is now strong enough for the challenge, but the family needs the community's help to be able to afford the operations.
HECTORSPRUIT – While most of us take the simple act of chewing for granted, local resident Adam Bourdillion is looking forward to the day he can do so without immense difficulty.
The first-year law student has a severe underbite and only one set of his teeth is touching each other. This means he can currently not bite food and is only partially able to chew.
Adam and his family have been living in the Onderberg since 2001 and he attended Riverview Prep School and Curro Nelspruit.
He is currently studying to become a corporate lawyer at the University of Pretoria and hopes to become the best in his profession. To rectify his condition, Adam will need a lot of surgery, which includes cutting his top jaw from his skull, moving it forward and angling it and cutting out a piece of his bottom jaw to set it back and angling it.
This will cost the family just over R200 000, which they cannot afford on their own.
Adam will also need to take time off his studies in order to completely heal.
READ: Organisation keeps Lowveld’s animals wild and free
The family explained that he is only getting the surgery now in order for his bones to be mostly fused, which is usually around the age of 18. If done earlier, the bones could have grown incorrectly afterwards.
Over the past year, Adam had ongoing surgery to correct his teeth to ensure they are lined up properly in preparation for the surgery. Due to these expenses, his aunt and uncle are paying for his university tuition.
He said without the operation he cannot overcome his condition and is currently only coping with it.
READ: Fun facts and health facts about pineapples that you may not have known
Due to the extreme nature of the surgery, Adam’s facial features will be totally different. His surgeon has explained that there will be severe facial trauma and has prepared him for this. However, Adam is really excited just to be a “normal young man” and be able to eat without difficulty, despite not looking like the “old” Adam.
The family is currently busy with two fund-raisers and needs the community’s support to afford the operation.
The first is a raffle for a hamper containing two bottles of wine, four wine glasses and a Duck ‘n Dive voucher worth R300. Tickets cost R50 each and the raffle ends March 25. To enter, contact Amber Brits on 082-499-4269 or visit the Adam Bourdillon Fundraiser Facebook page.
The other raffle is conducted via their gogetfunding.com page (which also has more info on the operation) and requires participants to make a donation.
Each increment between R100 and R700 qualifies the donors for a different prize. This includes accommodation vouchers for Manyatta Rock Camp and Little Farm cottage, elephant-back safaris and spa treatments.
