Cape Town - An eight-year-old boy who dreams of becoming a paramedic and his six-year-old brother were given a chance to be honorary members of the Netcare 911 flight crew for a day.
The two boys from Philippi were taken for a sightseeing spin around Cape Town by the emergency medical services helicopter to fulfil the dream of Exzevia, 8, who is being treated for leukaemia.
Exzevia was accompanied by his younger brother Guidance – a superhero who is a matching bone marrow donor for the transplant he so desperately needs – and their mother Susan Sibanda.
To make this dream come true the Netcare 911 team partnered with The Reach For A Dream Foundation, a leading non-profit organisation that fulfils the dreams of children suffering from life-threatening illnesses.
Susan said, “We really enjoyed the ride. When the ambulance came to pick us up from home it was already exciting for the boys, and it really came as a surprise when one of the Netcare 911 crew announced we were going to the airport. We had no idea what was coming.”
Netcare 911 emergency care technician Erna Serfontein said when they picked the kids up, the look on their faces and the way their eyes lit up was touching. However, they were a little scared in the beginning of the flight.
Western Cape branch manager at Reach For A Dream, Heidi Rowley, said, “We believe in the power of dreams and their ability to inspire hope even in the most challenging circumstances.
“When we learned about Exzevia’s dream of becoming a paramedic, we knew we had to make it come true. Thanks to the passionate team at Netcare 911, we could create this once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
The family has not had an easy time in recent months, as Exzevia is currently undergoing regular treatment and his superhero brother, Guidance, is a matching bone marrow donor for the transplant, he so desperately needs.
siviwe.melap@inl.co.za