Knysna businesses pull together to help little boy

KNYSNA NEWS - A spit braai was held at Olde's Pub and Grill last week to raise funds in the form of an auction and raffle for a little boy who is due for neurosurgery in February.

Henmar Kapp, who is almost two years old, suffers from epilepsy and experiences severe seizures, and he is not responding well to chronic medication, according to his parents Michael and Coleen Kapp.

Coleen explained that, according to doctors, there is a chance Henmar would respond to the surgical removal of part of his left temporal lobe, which an MRI revealed is abnormal.

The mother of two lost her first son (from a previous marriage), also Michael, to a mitochondrial disease two years ago. He had suffered a fatal heart attack at the age of four-and-a-half – five days before Henmar was born. During her speech at the venue, Coleen said, "We could have gone to the bank to loan money, but we are still paying off debt from our journey with Michael."

"This was not an easy decision as it is not just any operation, it is a high-risk procedure," she said.

Although the couple has medical aid, the Constantiaberg Mediclinic in Cape Town where Henmar will be admitted is not covered by the scheme, which is why various local businesses joined forces to raise funds to cover the costs associated with the operation, including the neurologist, anaesthetist and surgeon, as well as travelling and accommodation costs.

A spit braai was held at Olde's Pub and Grill last week to raise funds.

Coleen expressed her gratitude to all who involved themselves in little Henmar's plight. "A huge thank you to Olde's, Spar, Food Lover's, Farmers Butchery, Ryno and Theuns and Vlooi from Nautical South Restaurant who is also hosting a function Saturday, and to each one that contributed towards this, we appreciate it tremendously."

Henmar's appointment is on 13 February.

The Kapps helping with the raffle.