One person’s ‘small donation’ is another’s fighting chance. 7-year-old Joshua Louwrens has just gotten the upper hand in his fight against cancer thanks to this philosophy and Joshua’s Angels, who managed to help the little boy surpass his crowdfunding goal in record time.
South Africa (18 February 2025) — Little Joshua Louwrens is front of many minds in Newcastle and greater South Africa as of late. A 7-year-old child, Joshua’s life changed drastically in the past few months after a small bump became a mountain for him and his family to overcome—cancer. But, thanks to Joshua’s Angels, Joshua’s story has taken a turn for the hopeful!
The Bump That Became a Mountain to Overcome
As his family explained, it all began with a small bump on Joshua’s neck. After an initial doctor’s visit, broad-spectrum antibiotics that didn’t work (the doctor suspected the bump was a result of a swollen lymph node due to an infection Joshua had in his gums), another doctor’s visit and antibiotics that took care of his infection but not the bump, Joshua’s family prepared for their third trip to the doctor.
This visit saw Joshua admitted to the hospital, where all efforts went to figuring out the bump.
It was after surgery to remove the bump that things grew in complexity—the full bump couldn’t be removed due to its location. Furthermore, it needed to be tested so the doctors understood what they were working with.
On 28 January, Joshua’s family finally learned what their son was dealing with— Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL).
“Nothing could have prepared us for this news and it felt like our entire world was shattered in an instance,” his family recall.
And so began the winding road to recovery. Scans, checking for spreading, trips into theatre, a central line and then the news that he needed to transfer to Paediatric Oncology Wards elsewhere as the Newcastle facility simply didn’t have the means to handle his case.
350kms later, Joshua found himself in Pretoria for care, bone aspiration and a spinal tap to understand if his bone marrow and spinal cord had been touched by the cancer yet. On 1 February, Joshua received his first round of chemo.
Joshua’s Angels
So much goes into cancer treatment: medical bills, consultations, procedures. For anyone, it’s a lion’s battle, let alone for a child.
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Joshua’s family learned quickly that medical aids do not cover all the care necessary. On top of this, travelling between Newcastle and Pretoria is no quick trip around the block. As he has a six-month chemo plan to fight the aggressive Lymphoma, they know they are in for a time where they’ll need to draw on all facets of strength for their son.
After sharing Joshua’s story and a call for help to cover his costs and make the logistics for his treatment possible, his family were soon met with an army of support.
Joshua’s Angels united in a matter of days, donating what they had and then some to help the 7-year-old have the upper hand in his battle.
They did this to great effect. And, we’re thrilled to report that Joshua’s Angels rallied a whopping R187,538 for the little boy, surpassing the initial target of R150,000 on BackaBuddy!
Small acts added up wonderfully for Joshua. Now, he not only has financial support for his healing but the emotional transaction that is knowing—and at such an early age—that you do not need to go through the hard things alone. That there is kindness in the wings and that we are stronger together.
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