South Africa: 21-Year-Old's Crucial Kidney Dialysis Treatment Puts Family Under Financial Strain

Brandon Booysen, a 21-year-old from Randfontein, is facing a life-threatening situation due to end-stage kidney disease and severe bone complications. Diagnosed with chronic kidney disease (CKD) at the age of four, Brandon has undergone more than fifty surgeries and medical procedures involving his bladder, legs, joints, bones, and muscles. In 2018, he began dialysis treatment at the age of 13, and his care was moved to the private sector in 2021 due to the limited resources in the public healthcare system.

Lucille Booysen, Brandon's mother and primary caregiver, is unemployed and struggles to balance Brandon's constant care with the family's essential expenses. She helps with meals, bed baths, medication, and monitors his fluid intake and blood pressure. Lucille also cares for her seven-month-old daughter while working part-time. When Brandon turned 18, he lost his social grant, and his mother has not applied for another grant as she cannot leave Brandon unattended.

The family relies on Werner, Lucille's boyfriend, for financial support, who pays a percentage towards medical aid and the rest out-of-pocket. However, the high cost of Brandon's care has depleted the medical aid savings early in the year, leaving the family to pay for treatment out-of-pocket. Three of Brandon's medicines cost R6,316 a month, and the family owes about R8,000 for unpaid blood tests. Their prepaid electricity bill also rises due to the additional electricity needed to run Brandon's dialysis machine.

Lucille is concerned about the family's financial situation, as they struggle to cover essential household expenses such as rent, food, and electricity once the medical aid savings run out.