After almost a month in the neonatal intensive care unit and seven weeks of intense therapy at the Netcare Rehabilitation Hospital in Auckland Park, little Lente is finally home. (Photo: Janice du Plessis/Maroela Media)
The road to recovery for little Lente van Jaarsveld is longer and steeper than any parent would hope for, but for Gerhard and Karin every small victory is a precious proof of the Lord’s grace.
After almost a month in the neonatal intensive care unit and seven weeks of intense therapy at the Netcare Rehabilitation Hospital in Auckland Park, little Lente is finally home. And although the scars of the traumatic accident on 13 December will always remain with them, in the Van Jaarsveld house there is “no room for doubt”.
This parent couple told Maroela Media’s visit to their home that they cling to an unshakable faith. For them, the Lord is still working on a miracle, and they wait with full confidence for the day when their “little Barbie” will once again be the happy, playful little girl she was before the accident.
“One tends to expect that the recovery path must go quickly and that she will soon be herself again, but unfortunately this is not the reality,” says Gerhard as he looks back on the past few months.
“However, we are incredibly grateful that Lente is finally back at home and that our little family can now be together again.”
Gerhard and Lente van Jaarsveld. (Photo: Janice du Plessis/Maroela Media)
Karin agrees that the atmosphere at home makes a remarkable difference to Lente’s mood.
“Since we’ve been home, we’ve seen that Lente is much calmer. She smiles at everyone, she laughs, and she’s even started to say ‘mommy’ again. What also makes a big difference is that everyone who comes here to visit are people who really love her. She really feels that love and warmth.”
Gerhard says Lente’s routine looks very different now than before the accident. Her day already starts at 06:00 and she is fed through a PEG tube every three hours. She also still receives weekly therapy from an occupational therapist, speech therapist and physiotherapist.
“It’s quite special for us, but now for the first time she sleeps through the night – something she never did before.
“The therapy is now a little less intense than in the hospital, but her treatment is still going full steam ahead. We believe the Lord will heal her completely and we hold on to this hope.”
Karin tells with amazement of the progress they are already seeing.
Through it all, their faith remains the unshakable anchor. (Photo: Janice du Plessis/Maroela Media)
“Small victories, which in our eyes are terribly big victories, is that she eats very well. We are also incredibly happy that both her eyes are now opening nicely. Although her right eye is still weaker, the neurologist believes that it will fully recover.
“She’s also now starting to reach for things; if I hang toys over her on the playmat, she starts reaching out her little hands. We really treat her as if she’s a three-month-old baby again in our house.”
Through it all, their faith remains the unshakable anchor. Karin remembers how she and Gerhard stood outside the hospital and prayed when they didn’t know if Lente would survive the accident.
“I then told Jesus that I would be happy if Lente had to rest at His feet instead if she could not live a normal, quality life. And here we sit today.
“For me, this is absolute confirmation that the Lord has a plan for her. We are gathering disciples of Jesus. She is going to live an incredible life, because this is the promise that the Lord made to us.”
(Photo: Janice du Plessis/Maroela Media)
Gerhard nodded in agreement. “The Lord has not left us for one moment and He won’t either. Nothing is impossible with Him. We know that Spring is on her way back to us and she is going to be okay.”
However, the road to full recovery also brings financial challenges. The family must, among other things, have a specialized pram (buggie) and purchase a special mattress that will help her on the road to recovery, costs that the medical aid does not fully cover.
“It is quite a few rand to purchase this equipment. We also have to pay the therapy costs because the medical fund does not cover everything,” says Gerhard.
However, their support network has already stepped in to organize fundraising projects, including a bowling day on March 29, as well as planned golf days.
“We really have an incredible network of friends who are assisting us in this time. We hope people will notice the need and become part of Lente’s recovery path with us.”