A 10-year-old boy is raising funds to help children suffering from a rare illnesses.
Young Jed Kegan, OF Sea Point, was diagnosed with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) by a peadiatric specialist.
The CRPS disease is brought upon by a previous injury or sickness, which causes extreme pain which results from a series of incorrect nerve signals sent from the affected joint to the brain.
“The virus settled in his knee making him unable to walk without crutches, his pain appeared to be escalating despite being prescribed with a lot of medication.
After two weeks the medication showed no results and we were referred to an orthopedic knee specialist,” said his mother, Shana Kegan.
A series of X-rays and blood tests eliminated rheumatoid arthritis as a possible diagnosis and then Jed was booked for an MRI which led to another dead-end.
After searching for an answer and solution to Jed’s severe pain, Jed’s luck changed when he was treated at Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital whose anesthesiology department had dealt with children with this disease.
“When we arrived at the Red Cross, Jed was unable to walk, but with determination he powered through, gritting his teeth through the pain,” said Ms Kegan.
Jed became the 10th child in Africa to be treated for the rare CRPS disease after spending only four days at the Red Cross and was discharged on November 25, 2016.
By the end of December he had undergone extensive physiotherapy and was already walking without crutches.
“Here I am, a smile on my face and a spring in my step and the truth is, I could not have done it without Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital and the support of my amazing family,” said Jed.
During their time at the Red Cross, Jed and his mother were introduced to a number of families who had suffered a similar ordeal and were inspired to have a positive impact on those affected by this condition.
Jed has since done a number of motivational speeches about CRPS and his experience with beating the illness. He has a soft spot for the Red Cross for the role they played in his recovery and now, with the help of his mother is raising funds for the Red Cross Pain Clinic on an ongoing basis.
Funds are generated by selling unique, handmade Tedis, which Sea Point residents have come to know. Each Tedi is made with care and affection, by a team of retired grannies and anyone in the neighbourhood wanting to volunteer their time for a good cause.
To support Jedi Tedi in raising funds to provide a child at the Red Cross with a Tedi, donate R100 to the BackaBuddy crowdfunding campaign here: https://www.backabuddy.co.za/jedi-tedi-campaign
