Community raises almost 30k to save baby ‘J’

A mother’s worst nightmare; her son’s body overrun with sickness.

Baby Joshua’s story tugged at the heartstrings of the Newcastle community after he fell ill on May 21.

With friends and family posting hourly updates to a popular Facebook page, many soon became immersed in the 5-month-old boy’s life-threatening circumstances.

Joshua’s mother, Thea van Tonder recently disclosed the details surrounding his near-death experience.

Her bloodcurdling revelation was unnerving…

Day 1

“He started vomiting and his stool was runny,” explained Ms van Tonder. “It was late and there were no doctors available, so I took him to Newcastle Provincial Hospital.”

When she arrived, Joshua began choking on his vomit. After seeking assistance from a doctor on duty, with no success, Ms van Tonder resorted to helping him herself.

“After I cleaned him up, he finally fell asleep.”

At about 1.10am, doctors injected Joshua with an antibiotic. They instructed Ms van Tonder to treat him with Panado and sent her on her way.

Day 2

Baby ‘J’ slept most of the day. His parents assumed the injection needed time to wear off.

“I tried to feed him in his sleep, but he just pushed the bottle away with his tongue.”

Day 3

Joshua awoke shortly after 7am.

“He began vomiting again and had diarrhoea. I made an appointment to see a private doctor who told me that Joshua was teething and that his runny tummy was a sign of his body getting rid of the bug.”

Ms van Tonder found the diagnosis hard to believe and attempted to consult with a local pharmacist instead.

“The pharmacist could not prescribe anything and told me to go and see a doctor. I bought SMECTA powder, but Joshua would not drink it.”

Day 4

It had been three days since Joshua last ate, and since it was Sunday, there were no doctors available.

Ms van Tonder then took to social media, where the community told her about a doctor who treated patients after hours and over weekends.

She made an appointment, and after the doctor examined her son, concluded Joshua had contracted a viral infection. By then, his fever had skyrocketed to 38.8 degrees, sparking major concern.

The doctor administered an injection to stop the vomiting and minutes later, Ms van Tonder witnessed her son having a series of fits.

“His eyes rolled back in his head and he started shaking. His skin broke out in red patches.”

She said Joshua suffered a total of 38 fits.

After rushing him to the emergency room at MediClinic Newcastle, it was determined the episodes were a result of an allergic reaction to the injection administered earlier.

It was necessary for Joshua to be admitted, but Ms van Tonder could not afford the fees.

He spent the night at Newcastle Provincial Hospital in the high care unit.

Day 5

“I didn’t sleep the night before, I just stood by his cot and cried through the night,” explained Ms van Tonder.

Joshua still had not consumed anything, despite his mother’s every effort.

“He was so, so weak.”

At 8am, a staff member from a local construction company arrived to take baby ‘J’ back to MediClinic.

“The hospital staff worked really hard to help my baby. They couldn’t find a vein, so they had to put the drip in his head.”

Day 6

“I fed him for the first time in four days!” exclaimed Ms van Tonder. “He did vomit the milk out, but we kept trying.”

Day 7

The doctors decided to remove the drip from Joshua’s head, hoping he would be able to consume milk on his own.

Despite his poor appetite, he was discharged later that evening.

“He looks better, but we’re still keeping a close eye on him,”

Ms van Tonder and her family thanked the Newcastle community, which was instrumental in raising almost R30 000 for Joshua’s medical care.

“So many people supported my baby and prayed for him. I am so thankful to each and every one of them.”

The family also expressed gratitude to the staff at MediClinic for saving Joshua’s life.

“My child nearly died. If it wasn’t for Newcastle Classifieds, Joshua would not be here today. May God bless them all,” concluded Ms van Tonder.

See next week’s edition of the Newcastle Advertiser as we delve deeper into Joshua’s gut-wrenching story.

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