Hot Cares brings dignity and safety to Juandre’s daily care

For single mom Annelie, caring for her 8-year-old son, Juandre, is a full-time act of love and courage.

Juandre lives with both Cerebral Palsy and Down Syndrome and needs constant support with even the most basic functions – including breathing safely while he sleeps. Annelie does all of this on her own. Juandre’s father is not involved, and although she works at a care centre to try and cover the costs their medical aid doesn’t pay, her income simply doesn’t stretch far enough.

Recently, the strain has become dangerous. At around 35 kilograms, lifting and carrying Juandre without assistance has taken a serious toll on Annelie’s body. She hurt her ankle after tripping while moving him, but like so many devoted parents, she keeps going, because there is no one else to do it.

On top of that, their medical aid has stopped paying for Ensure – the food supplement that helps keep Juandre properly nourished. Annelie now cooks, blends, and strains all his meals to the correct texture, just to make sure he gets what he needs.

When Hot Cares heard their story, we knew we had to step in.

To help ease the physical and emotional burden on this brave mom, Hot Cares will be covering the cost of a CPAP machine and SATS monitoring unit for Juandre, giving him safer, more restful sleep and allowing Annelie to monitor his oxygen levels at home. We’re also funding a hoist, so that transfers from bed to chair or bath can be done safely and with dignity – protecting both mother and son from injury.

In addition, Hot Cares will cover the cost of Juandre’s Ensure supplement for the next three months.

In total, this support is valued at up to R40 000 – a lifeline of relief, stability, and reassurance that Annelie and Juandre are not facing this journey alone.