Near-death experience for Eldos family as roof is blown off during storm
|Published
An Eldorado Park family with a sickly son is in a desperate state after the roof of their home was blown off during the heavy rains that hit Gauteng at the weekend. Picture: Timothy Bernard/African News Agency(ANA)
Johannesburg - An Eldorado Park family with a sickly son is in a desperate state after the roof of their home was blown off during the heavy rains that hit Gauteng at the weekend.
Zentilyh Clark, mother of Jade Anderson, 14, who lost his oesophagus after drinking drain cleaner in 2013, said it was just her and her son in the house when the roof blew off.
“We were sitting downstairs, fortunately, and we just saw bricks falling off the house followed by a racket. That’s when we heard someone screaming ‘the roof, the roof’ from outside,” said Clark.
She went upstairs to check on the roof after the rain stopped and that’s when she saw the damage to her bedroom as well as to Jade’s.
“What I saw was a disaster but I was not devastated or anything, because I am a God-fearing person. I broke out in a song,” said Jade.
Community member Dwayne Ponsonboy visited the house with a builder on Tuesday to inspect what was needed to repair the family’s roof.
Jade described the roof incident as a near-death experience, explaining that it blew off a short while after he and his mother had come downstairs.
“I was scared, my mom and I were upstairs before the roof fell. She was bathing and I was in her room. When we came down, that’s when the roof fell,” said Jade.
His TV, phone charger and PlayStation were damaged.
Jade’s stepfather Ellington Clark said: “Everything happens for a reason. It’s all in God’s plan. God shows you things in different ways. We are not moved by material things as that can be replaced, but we are grateful for life.”
Jade suffered severe damage to his oesophagus and intestines and after multiple surgeries, he was still unable to swallow. He has to be fed through a tube in his stomach.
“We are trying to get his weight up with high-fibre foods but they are very expensive. We did move his weight from 13.1kg to 24kg but he lost it.
“We are urging those that want to help to reach out as we are working on getting a second opinion to give our son a chance at a normal life,” said Ellington.
Jade currently weighs 14.8kg.
The Star