At just five years old, Pietermaritzburg’s Jayce Helberg has already endured more than most people face in a lifetime. Born prematurely on October 23, 2021, at 27 weeks and weighing only 800 grams, Jayce’s fight began at birth. Complications soon followed and he was diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition caused by a build-up of fluid on the brain.
Surgeons inserted a shunt to drain the fluid, but repeated blockages meant multiple operations within his first year of life. Over time, Jayce also lost his sight and the ability to eat independently, later undergoing surgery for a malrotation of his colon and receiving a permanent feeding peg. In total, Jayce has undergone 15 surgeries.
He lives with developmental delays, cannot sit on his own and requires constant medical care and therapy. Yet, for his mother, Courtney Helberg, Jayce is not defined by his medical history. “As a mother of two ‘normal’ children, nothing could have prepared me for the scary unknown of what Jayce’s condition would bring,” she said.
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Much of Jayce’s first year was spent in hospital, a period Courtney describes as physically and emotionally draining. Hope often sat side by side with fear, especially when Jayce nearly died on three occasions. “We didn’t know if our son would come back to us after each surgery.
We questioned if we were doing the right thing by fighting to keep him alive, but Jayce was fighting too. We owed him our unconditional love,” she said. Today, Jayce communicates through laughter, cries and occasional words that bring overwhelming joy to his family.
He requires daily medication, weekly therapy and full-time care, leaving Courtney unable to work. Still, she remains hopeful. “We strive to make Jayce’s life as normal as possible,” she says.
“He is not a victim. He is a warrior.”However, the family need help in securing five critical pieces of therapy equipment needed for his development.
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