A call for hope and support has gone out from Summerhill School SA as former learner Luke van Antwerpen fights for his life.

The 19-year-old Midrand resident faces a severe lung infection linked to cystic fibrosis (CF), and the school community has rallied to help raise funds for life-saving treatment.

Van Antwerpen’s health struggles began early. As a toddler, he battled constant hunger and struggled to gain weight. At age three, doctors discovered an intussusception – a serious intestinal obstruction – resulting in the removal of half his colon.

It was then that he was diagnosed with CF, an incurable genetic disorder that affects the lungs and digestive system by causing the body to produce thick, sticky mucus.

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Despite a second intestinal blockage at age six, Van Antwerpen grew up as, what doctors called, a healthy CF patient, but that has now changed. He has developed mycobacterium abscessus, a nontuberculosis mycobacterium (NTM) infection that poses a serious threat to his lungs. With CF already making it difficult to clear infections, this new complication has significantly raised the stakes for his health.

Pulmonologist Dr Emmanuel Taban, who is leading Van Antwerpen’s treatment, said he has started a long and complex course of oral and intravenous medication. However, he believes Van Antwerpen urgently needs access to Trikafta, a breakthrough CF drug that can help reverse some of the disease’s effects and help clear the mucus that traps infections.

This drug is specifically targeted to his mutation. It was developed and approved in the USA in 2019 at a cost of approximately $400 000 per year. It became available in South Africa in 2024, and is only covered by Discovery Medical Aid. The cost has now decreased to around R400 000.

To protect Van Antwerpen’s lungs from further damage, the family needs to raise funds urgently. The goal is to raise R150 000, which Taban hopes will help secure a donor to cover the remainder of the treatment costs.

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Summerhill School has stepped in to support the family’s campaign. Van Antwerpen began his schooling journey at Summerhill Nursery in 2010 and went on to complete his education at Summerhill College last year, where he became the first recipient of the Morshead Award for Persistence in the Face of Adversity. Nursery principal Sonya Toet, who taught Van Antwerpen in Grade 1, remembers him fondly.

Toet said the entire school community will be wearing jeans on December 1, and donating R10 each to help raise funds for his treatment. “We’re super proud of Luke. Balancing his well-being and schoolwork has never been easy, yet he achieved so much.

Receiving the Morshead Award truly reflects his determination in the face of adversity. We wish him strength for the journey ahead – he has our support all the way.”

Residents who wish to donate can follow this link: https://www.backabuddy.co.za/campaign/give-luke-a-fighting-chance

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