UPDATE: West teenager laid to rest
The funeral for Giovanni Hendriks (18) took place at 10:00 from the Volle Evangelie Kerk Jubal in Kwaggasrand.
Hundreds of people came together on Monday morning to say their final goodbyes to a teenage boy of the west of Pretoria who died in hospital last week.
Giovanni Hendriks (18) suffered from the rare Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS).
The funeral was held at 10:00 from the Volle Evangelie Kerk Jubal in Kwaggasrand. Afterwards, mourners made their way to the Zandfontein cemetery, where Giovanni was buried.
His father, Giani, said about 400 people attended the service.
ALSO READ: UPDATE: West’s Giovanni to be laid to rest
“About 58 vehicles travelled in the procession to the cemetery,” he said.
“It just proves once again that my son made a big impact on many people’s lives.”
Giani said the funeral honoured the life of his son.
“Although it was heart-breaking to say goodbye, the funeral was also beautiful,” he said.
“Thank you to everyone who made it possible and who decorated the venue so beautifully.”
The baseball team of Hoërskool Tuine also paid tribute to Giovanni in their own unique way.
“Giovanni was the team captain,” said Giani.
“Not only did they help carry the coffin, but also took off their shirts and put it in the grave with Giovanni.”
ALSO READ: NEWSFLASH: West’s Giovanni loses his battle
The Hendriks family thanked everyone for their support ever since Giovanni became sick in February earlier this year.
“We are going to miss him terribly,” said Giani.
On 25 February Giovanni came home from school complaining to his mother that he didn’t feel well.
After his parents rushed him to hospital, his condition only worsened the next day.
He was taken to Kalafong hospital where he was admitted.
Giovanni was diagnosed with GBS nine years ago.
After about a month in hospital, he was again diagnosed with the syndrome when doctors noticed an infection to his nerve points.
An MRI scan was then done at the Steve Biko Academic Hospital.
Giovanni had a setback on 23 June when his heart stopped for an hour and 15 minutes. The setback happened the week he was supposed to be have been released from hospital.
Food got stuck in his windpipe, which caused his heart to stop.
After he was revived, doctors did an immediate brain scan which showed that there was swelling on his brain.
By the next Wednesday, doctors discovered that he didn’t have any brain activity for 10 days.
The doctors told his family on Thursday that nothing could be done for the teenager.
ALSO READ: UPDATE: Major setback as paralysed west boy suffers ‘brain damage’
Giovanni died last week Monday.
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