Out of the heartbreak of 2020 came a promise, and this month, that promise looks like a five-year-old with the brightest smile.
Limpopo, South Africa (10 September 2025) – When the world shut down in 2020, life in South Africa became harder than many of us could have imagined.
At Good Things Guy, I spent those days digging deep for good news stories, because even in the darkest moments, there were acts of kindness, courage and generosity shining through. But my inbox told another story. Messages poured in from people desperate for food, shelter, safety… and hope. It was relentless. And then came one phone call in May 2020 that I’ll never forget.
May 2020: The Fight for Renesmé
On the 14th of May 2020, we shared the story of baby Renesmé, born just 16 days earlier with a critical heart condition. Her parents had been told there was nothing more the state hospital could do, that she was out of options, out of time.
What followed was extraordinary. South Africans rallied. More than R200,000 was raised in just days. Surgeons at Sunninghill Hospital offered to perform the procedure free of charge. And after immense public pressure, the medical aid reversed its decision and agreed to cover all medical costs. For a moment, it felt like a miracle was unfolding.
But on the 21st of May, after surgery that doctors described as successful, her little heart simply gave in.
At only 23 days old, Renesmé passed away.
That loss was devastating. I cried with her family. I felt like we had failed her. But out of that grief, something important was born: the Renesmé Foundation. Her name became a promise that no child should ever again slip through the cracks because of red tape or delays.
September 2020: Zaylee’s Turn to Fight
A little more than 100 days late, in September 2020, that promise was put to the test. In Bela Bela, a baby girl named Zaylee entered the world facing overwhelming odds. She developed severe respiratory distress, was diagnosed with neonatal jaundice, and her tiny lungs were abnormal. Within days, she needed two blood transfusions just to survive.
Her mother, Tanya, desperate for a lifeline, reached out for help. The call reached the Renesmé Foundation, and from there, it found its way to me at Good Things Guy. I immediately got on the phone, reaching out to my contacts and sharing Zaylee’s urgent need. Dr Schürmann at Sunninghill confirmed that she had to be transferred immediately if she was to have any chance of survival. But there was one enormous hurdle: the cost of an ICU ambulance transfer. It felt impossible in that moment, until kindness stepped in. Through the Good Things Guy network, I was able to connect directly with Momentum’s leadership. Their team didn’t hesitate for a second. They personally covered the cost of the transfer to make sure nothing delayed Zaylee’s care.
Within hours, a plan that had seemed out of reach became reality. Zaylee was rushed to Johannesburg, where she received urgent, world-class treatment.
And this time, the outcome was different.
Zaylee survived.
September 2025: A Fifth Birthday Worth Celebrating
Fast forward to today. On the 5th of September 2025, Zaylee celebrated her fifth birthday. A milestone that once felt heartbreakingly out of reach became a day filled with gratitude, joy, and hope.
She still faces complications from the conditions she was born with but she lives with the courage of a fighter and the joy of a child who was given a tomorrow.
Her journey is a reminder of why the Renesmé Foundation exists: because one little girl’s short life created a ripple effect that continues to save others. Little Renesmé story transformed pain into purpose and grief into action. And Zaylee, bright, brave, and five years old, is proof of what happens when compassion, community and quick action come together.
Happy Birthday, Zaylee. We wish you a long life.
And to you Renesmé, we miss you and we will remember your story (and how you continue to help others). Always.
by 