Rehab centre drive needs support

MATTHEW, an angelic baby boy, was five weeks old, prematurely born and weighing only 1.6 kilograms when he was placed into the arms of his adoptive parents.

Having suffered the painful loss of their own son at birth, Piet and Geraldine Theunissen’s cup ran over.

After a long struggle to fall pregnant, the couple finally opted for in vitro treatment and rejoiced at the good tiding that Geraldine was expecting twins.

However, only their daughter Micaela survived, while their son died eight hours after birth in his mom’s arms.

‘When we received the news that a baby boy was abandoned after birth at Lower Umfolozi War Memorial Regional Hospital, our prayers for a son were answered.

Micaela and older sister Genevieve would have their brother.

But Matthew soon started crying inconsolably and began losing weight.

He was incorrectly diagnosed with ‘colic’ for months, until a Pretoria doctor diagnosed him with cerebral palsy.

Matthew was quadriplegic and, according to the doctor, had no chance of ever walking or communicating.

‘It was a shock. We had to reevaluate and re-calibrate our lives entirely to cope with the challenges we now faced at all levels,’ says Piet.

‘Matthew sleeps very little and in the beginning, we took turns to sleep,’ adds Geraldine.

‘Making him comfortable and coping with all his therapeutic needs takes time and is expensive.

‘Although we are self-employed, business must also continue.’

‘Matthew is now two years-old. Even though he is still unable to walk or sit, we are not giving up and know he will eventually in his own time.’

Equine therapy

The family’s journey resulted in the formation of the Equine Therapeutic Riding School, Equidae.

Geraldine, an accountant, and Piet, an IT Technician, now use horses as therapeutic agents to help Matthew and others like him in Richards Bay.

Piet grew up on a farm in the Kalahari and easily went back to his roots.

‘The movement of the horse is three dimensional. There are eight different movements and 310 muscles work at a time.

‘The child must balance and concentrate. The horses are also naturally fine-tuned to perceive emotions.’

‘Disabled children are often stigmatized by society. The interaction with horses boost their confidence and physically elevates them to a higher vantage point.’

Raising Matthew has brought experiences they never would have had without him in their lives.

‘He is so friendly, positive and tenacious when it comes to therapy. He is just a blessing.

‘Our eyes were also opened to the needs of other disabled children and how costly specialized equipment is.

‘Matthew is now in need of an SOD or sensory suit which will help his blood circulation and posture development.

‘We are planning a fun walk in aid of Matthew and to raise awareness of the lack of therapeutic and rehabilitation facilities to accommodate children with cerebral palsy and other disabilities locally.

‘Disabled children have many obstacles to overcome, but with help and intervention of committed people, their quality of life can improve exponentially.

‘We therefore plead for people to come forward and help establish a rehabilitation centre for children with special needs.’

For information about the fun walk, contact Geraldine on 083 4607631 or e-mail geraldinefstr@gmail.com.