Luyanda's Story

Here you will find two moving stories - from two intimate vantage points - about little Luyanda, who was a resident of the respite unit. They were sent in a recent email from Hillcrest, which is also below.

To All The Simunye Initiative!!!!!

You are Stars!!!!!!

Dear [supporters],

Your timing is impeccable, just when we were starting to get worried about our situation, the angels swept in!!!! ...the respite* is costing us more than we anticipated, Your hard work is what is keeping us going. I am attaching a little story which I have just written for the newsletter, which by the way will come out soon. watch this space...

Hope you enjoy reading it.

Love Julie

* The 'respite' referred to by Julie is the new respite unit that has been built by the Hillcrest AIDS Centre. Now in addition to their home based care and nurse visits, they have a (much needed) facility where their patients can go to hopefully have their suffering alleviated, give their care-givers a rest, and - god-willing - where they can recover.

Luyanda's Story

He was admitted to the unit 6 weeks ago. His little body, no more than a wisp, ice cold to the touch and too weak to cry or suck. At age 18 months his weight was 3kg and his skin was peeling off in sheets. I saw him first on a Tuesday.

Mom and Dad have both passed on and his Aunty who has 4 children of her own was caring for Luyanda. Luyanda was admitted to our unit to die with dignity and love.

To be honest, I was afraid to hold him, protecting myself from the imminent pain of loss, there is nothing as touching as a child who is dying...

The caregivers in the unit, in particular Tierney and Zibuyile, however never gave up hope and every time I entered the unit one of them was literally holding him and feeding him with a syringe. On Sunday, as I entered the unit, I was told, that he had sat up and eaten some custard!!!!!

Luyanda has gone from strength to strength and is in the process of being adopted by one of our volunteers. Entering the unit now you are in danger of being knocked off your feet by a little torpedo in a walking ring. His laughter is a joy and gives hope to all the other patients, often you will find him cuddled up in one of the patients beds where he has crashed to charge his batteries.

Miracles do happen and with love and care hopefully many more will also.

A NEW BLOOM - Luyanda Ndimande's story by Brenda Bailey

I am Luyanda's mommy and I wish to start his story by saying I feel so privileged to have him in my life. I cannot begin to express the sheer joy I have in being able to share each day with him.

I first met Luyanda at The Hillcrest HIV/AIDS Respite Unit on 22 March 2006, his aunt brought him in, as he was very ill.

Although totally emaciated, he looked beautiful - all I noticed were these huge eyes looking at me. It was as if he was just taking everything in.

On the weekend of the 25 and 26 March, I spent most of my time holding him and walking in the gardens of the Hillcrest Hospital. The medical staff all said he was dying. He was icy cold and his breathing was slowing down. I wanted him to draw strength from me and I just wished I could suffer his pain, as it was heart-breaking to watch this little boy suffer.

I could not bear the thought of him dying alone in the cot, so I held him and sang to him. I felt that if he could hear my heartbeat, he would be soothed and if was going to die, he would not leave this world feeling abandoned. Amy (one of the American volunteers) sat with me as we both cried many tears over this beautiful little boy who was suffering so terribly.

For two weeks Zama and I wanted for him to die, as this was the prognosis of the medical team, then one morning, I walked into the unit and there he was sitting up and eating. I watched him eat a blueberry muffin - it was joyous! Zama and I knew then that he really was our miracle baby. Day by day he improved, and we were all so happy.

Luyanda came home with me for the Easter weekend; it was lovely to have this wonderful little boy in our home and I knew he was going to make it his home. He has been living with us permanently since May. The decision to adopt him happened in an instant.

On that day that he first sat up, as I held him and was patting his back, his little hand gently moved to my shoulder and he patted me (he still does this now, as if he is reassuring me). A bond was created and I made him a promise that I would look after him for the rest of his life.

Luyanda is a happy little boy, who finds pleasure in everything. He has his favourite storybook, which we read everyday, and he loves it when the two of us dance and sing around the house; even though I am not very good at this, he thinks I am great. I look back on the photo's I took of him over the Easter weekend and I marvel at his recovery.

Neil and I are waiting on the courts as to the outcome of our adoption application. Luyanda's maternal aunt, Happiness, has given us her blessing with regard to us adopting him as she and her husband have four children of their own and are looking after another six.

Luyanda needs access to good medical care and good nutrition, so with a sad heart, they realized for Luyanda to be able to reach his true potential, Neil and I are better equipped to provide these requirements. We keep in touch and visit each other's homes, so Luyanda will not lose touch with his other family.

He started to walk in July and is now running and climbing and just enjoying life. The people who had seen him when he first came into the Respite Unit all agree that he is our miracle baby.

What has assisted our miracle baby to make this huge recovery? Well, lots of love, good food and access to medical treatment.

Luyanda will be celebrating his 2nd birthday later this month and I hope that you will all join in to wish him the very best.

I would like to close by saying "Thank you" to everyone at the Respite Unit for all their hard work and dedication - without them, Luyanda would not be here today. The Unit is a happy and a sad place - I say this because there are sad times - people who we lose and are no longer here on earth with us (I think of Mzwakhe a wonderful man who will be missed by many, not only his wife and children). But, there are also happy moments such as Thembalihle, who is now home with her family and going from strength to strength. However, had it not been for all the caregivers at the Unit, this would not be the case.

It is a place where people who are dying can do so with dignity but it also offers hope for those who get stronger and are then able to go on and join an ARV programme.