When you believe in miracles, great things can happen. The Krause family needs one right now as they simply cannot climb this mountain alone – not without helping hands.
Benoni, South Africa (29 October 2025) – When Lee-Ann and Clayton’s daughter Sadie was just 18 months old, and their son Jesse only six, their world was rocked with a diagnosis that most of us have probably never even heard of. In fact, it’s so rare that doctors believe their case may be the first formally diagnosed in South Africa.
Both Sadie and Jesse have been bravely fighting the battle against DOCK8 Immunodeficiency Syndrome.
In short, it means that their immune systems don’t work the way they should. Instead of fighting off infections, their bodies struggle to cope, and the immunodeficiency often leads to life-threatening complications.
“Children with this condition do not have a fully functional immune system. They are highly vulnerable to severe infections, chronic viral skin disease, progressive lung damage, and certain cancers at a young age. Without definitive treatment, the condition is fatal,” shares Dr Ashley C. Jeevarathnum, the paediatric pulmonologist, allergist, and clinical immunologist who diagnosed the siblings with the rare condition.
Life is not easy for the Krause family. They fight through constant hospital visits, bleach baths, endless needles and medications, cancelled family gatherings, and strict isolation whenever anyone is unwell.
Even so, bravery and love carry them through every step of the way.
“It has taken so many childhood moments. And yet, Jesse remains a gentle, protective big brother, and Sadie’s giggles still light up the room even on the hardest days. Their spirits remind us what’s at stake, the chance to grow up, to dream, and to live the childhood every child deserves,” shares Dominique Nelson-Esch, a family member rallying every soldier she can get to help the family fight.
There is hope for both siblings to undergo a stem cell (bone marrow) transplant that could help them rebuild healthy immune systems and have a chance at healthy lives. The family needs a miracle to make it happen.
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It’s one of the most complicated procedures in medicine, and it requires specialists with direct experience in treating DOCK8. Because it’s such a rare condition, there is no formal treatment or funding pathways available for it in SA. The operation has to be done overseas, most likely in the United States where doctors have experience with DOCK8 cases.
The expenses to make that happen are simply too great a burden for any family to carry alone.
It will cost them between R20 and R30 million per child.
That’s why their loved ones have launched a BackaBuddy campaign, because time is not on their side, but hope definitely still is. They’ve helped spread the word and rally support. So far, the campaign which has been up for just over two weeks has already seen R 216,630 raised towards the R20,000 000 goal.
If you’d like to be a part of a miracle for Sadie, Jesse, and their family, donate here.
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