Grandparents Crowdfund for Housebound Grandson to Live a Full Life

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Pensioners Colin and Margie Jones have created a crowdfund for their grandson Kyle, so he can purchase a portable oxygen concentrator, which will enable him to venture outside their home.

Hillcrest, South Africa (28 September 2022) – Ten years ago, Kyle Skidmore was told he wouldn’t make his 21st birthday if he didn’t receive a stem-cell transplant. Thankfully, a match was found by the time he was 19 years old. Kyle was diagnosed with a rare genetic disease called Fanconi Aplastic Anaemia at the age of twelve and waited nearly seven years for his match.

His life was completely changed when his stem-cell match was found. For the last ten years, Kyle has finally gotten the chance to live life normally, but when he started getting sick in late 2021, his grandparents grew worried.

Kyle’s lungs started taking strain and by June 2022, he was back in the diagnostics process to figure out what was going on. Colin and Margie, who have been caring for Kyle, knew something was wrong with their grandson but hoped it wasn’t serious.

The family got the devastating news that Kyle had Pulmonary Veno Occlusive Disease. This is yet another rare genetic disease, characterised by a blockage of the blood vessels that carry oxygen-rich blood from the lungs to the heart (the pulmonary veins).

Since his diagnosis, Kyle has become fully reliant on oxygen. His medical aid has thankfully covered the installation of a home-based non-portable oxygen concentrator which allows him to breath easy. However, it has meant he is homebound and unable to work or live a full life anymore.

The Jones’ have watched their grandson go from living life to his fullest, to being stuck at home, indoors because of this diagnosis. Kyle’s medical aid does keep his basic medical needs covered; however, they do not cover the cost of a portable oxygen concentrator, which would allow Kyle to venture outside the home.

Being pensioners, Colin and Margie are not able to purchase the device for Kyle outright, so they set up a crowdfund for their grandson, to get him the device needed to free up his life again.

“Our hearts break for our grandson who watches the world go on without him from his window. All he has ever wanted was to be healthy to live unencumbered and have the freedom to spend time with his friends and family”, says Colin.

They are hoping to raise R65,000 for the portable unit (which will also be used during dreaded loadshedding). So far, generous donors have helped raise nearly R20,000. Funds raised will be used to purchase the device, an additional battery to compensate for load shedding, as well as inevitable maintenance costs.