HARTENBOS NEWS - Earlier this week, in support of the 11-year-old Aziel Verreynne, several of his friends and family embarked on a cycle tour from Johannesburg to Hartenbos.
The group began their journey in Joburg on Saturday 14 March, where Aziel and his family live.
They planned to cycle 1 293km through mountainous terrain in order to raise funds for his ongoing medical treatment for spastic quadriplegia, cerebal palsy and chronic lung disease.
Aziel, whose name means 'comforted by God' or 'God is my strength', suffered a near-drowning incident when he was two.
He had to be resuscitated at the hospital for two hours.
During that, his brain was not receiving enough oxygen, resulting in a severe injury. Aziel was unconcious for four days.
The doctors told the Verreynnes he would not survive the night, but - miraculously - he did.
"Aziel is cognitively fully alert, meaning he is just a perfect little boy, stuck in a little body that just doesn't want to work properly yet," said his mother, Meson.
She told the Advertiser Aziel has a great sense of humour and often laughs wholeheartedly. He enjoys the normal things an 11-year-old boy might enjoy, including movies and music. He loves spending time with his older sister, Mieke (17), and younger brother, Joshua (9), and considers them to be his best friends.
"He is a precious part of our family, loved and carried by a vast village, with more compassion for him, and us, than we had ever thought possible," she said.
But Aziel also requires many things a boy his age might not.
According to the family's BackaBuddy campaign, Aziel has entered a palliative stage, requiring less aggressive medical intervention for the lengthening of his life and more gentle intervention regarding his quality of life.
However, these interventions remain costly. The medication, therapy and nutrition required to keep him as comfortable and pain-free as possible come at a steep price.
"We don't know how many days God has planned for him, but for every day that is left, we as a family and village will do our best to give him everything he needs," said Aziel's family.
The team cycles an average of 162km per day with their sights set on Hartenbos. Their target is to raise enough money to cover at least one year of Aziel's treatment.
Financial contributions to the Verreynne family's cause can be made to their BackaBuddy campaign, Every Mile 4 Aziel.
The group of cyclists should arrive in Hartenbos tomorrow, 21 March.
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