UPDATE: West’s Giovanni to be laid to rest
“He was a very joyful child and always helped others where he could,” his father Giani said.
A young resident of the west of Pretoria will be laid to rest next week after he died following his diagnosis with Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) earlier this year.
Giovanni Hendriks (18), of Danville, was diagnosed with the syndrome after he suffered full-body paralysis in February.
Giovanni will be laid to rest this coming Monday at the Full Gospel Church Jubal in Kwaggasrand at 10:00.
He died in hospital early on Monday morning, two weeks after a medical setback which caused severe brain damage due to a lack of oxygen to his brain.
The setback occurred on 23 June when his heart stopped for an hour and 15 minutes after food got stuck in his windpipe.
It took place in the week he was expected to be discharged from hospital.
After the setback, doctors immediately did a brain scan on Giovanni, which showed minor swelling on his brain.
ALSO READ: West’s Giovanni loses his battle
By last Wednesday, doctors discovered that he had had no brain activity for 10 days.
On Thursday last week, doctors informed his family that there was nothing they could do for him medically anymore.
Following the news, the family held a prayer session at the hospital’s ICU on Friday evening.
By Saturday his father told Rekord that Giovanni was showing slight progress and doctors planned to wake him up from his coma, but then Giovanni suddenly died on Monday.
The family described their son as a loving person.
“He was a very joyful child and always helped others where he could,” his father Giani said.
“Giovanni also had a great passion for his sport.”
Giani said Giovanni participated in softball, javelin and rugby.
“Giovanni was also good on an academic level – he just shone out in everything,” he said.
“We will miss him very much.”
The family thanked everyone for their support during Giovanni’s journey.
ALSO READ: UPDATE: Major setback as paralysed west boy suffers ‘brain damage’
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