Happy No Matter What
View this video on YouTube
Reef's Family
Reef Carneson is five years old, and a cancer survivor. At the age of just five months, he was diagnosed with high risk infant ALL (acute lymphoblastic leukaemia). Aggressive chemotherapy during his first year did not result in remission being obtained and at the age of only eleven months he received a bone marrow transplant.
Over the next two years his condition fluctuated wildly, with countless stays in ICU, and his family was warned on many occasions to prepare themselves for the worst. However Reef has proved to be a real fighter, and has beaten the odds every time. He is now cancer-free, but his little body has not been left unharmed. He suffers from severe graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), which has affected almost all the organs in his body, and his physical development is way behind. At the age of three, he was unable to walk, could not speak, and was fed through a naso-gastric tube.
During 2011 his parents realised that he would not be able to get the intense rehabilitation treatment that he needed in South Africa. Children's Hospital of Los Angeles agreed to accept Reef as a patient, and in October 2011 the family moved to the USA.
The improvement in his condition since he began treatment in the USA is nothing short of miraculous. He can now run around, eat some normal food (although his nutrition is still a problem), and has a vocabulary of fifteen words. A team of specialists controls and monitors his treatments, and he is flourishing while receiving the necessary therapies.
All of this has proved extremely costly, and until recently neither of his parents has been permitted to work in the USA due to their visa conditions. The family has been totally reliant on funds raised on their behalf (in most cases by total strangers), not only for Reef's medical treatment, but also for their day-to-day living expenses.
After one year, their medical visa expired, and for this to be renewed would have involved Reef returning to South Africa to be reassessed. This was not a viable option, as not only is the cost prohibitive, but more importantly, the flights would be extremely dangerous for Reef as he has a severely compromised immune system. The only other option was for one of Reef's parents to study a degree course, so his father Ryan embarked on an 18-month Cooking and Baking course at a college in LA. This was paid for initially by his family in South Africa, and then by generous benefactors from around the world. Despite all the worries about Reef, Ryan worked diligently and graduated top of his class in December 2013.
After completing his studies and graduating, Ryan is now permitted to work for a year to complete the practical side of his training. He has found a job, but unfortunately, as a new recruit, his wages are low, and do not even cover their basic living expenses, let alone Reef's treatments and medications. At this stage, there is a shortfall of around $2500, or R27000, every month.
Please browse through this site: www.savebabyreef.com and experience with his parents some of the heartache they have endured. If you are able to help financially, even with a small amount, the family and one very special little boy will be eternally grateful.
If you can help:
Siranne van Onselen
siranne@urbanchic.co.za
27798842270
Facebook: 1,000 Candles for Baby Reef – Official Group
Website: www.savebabyreef.com
Share This Article
