The past 2 weeks have been a tough one for the little ones. Both Sadie and Jesse started showing signs of flu, and for children living with DOCK8 immunodeficiency even a simple viral infection can escalate quickly.
Sadie took the hardest knock. She developed a fever and chest complications, and was admitted to hospital for one night. We have been fortunate enough to find a paediatric facility in a hospital in Johannesburg which is much safer for immunocompromised children. There are no shared wards, reduced exposure to other viruses and bacteria, and the right level of monitoring.
The medical team performed blood tests and a nasal swab. The results confirmed a viral infection, not bacterial. This meant Sadie didn’t require IV antibiotics (intravenous), which is a huge relief. She did, however, need to start an oral antibiotic course to support her through the fevers and help prevent complications.
Sadie is now back home and stable. Jesse has a lingering cough, but he is strong and recovering well.
Both children are also navigating severe molluscum contagiosum, a stubborn skin condition very common in DOCK8:
Sadie has lesions on her eyelids and behind her ears.
Jesse’s molluscum has now spread across the front of his body, adding discomfort on top of this week’s flu.
Last week, Jesse also developed painful cyst-like lesions, which thankfully began improving after a dose of Dupixent, a treatment that can sometimes help reduce skin inflammation in DOCK8 patients.
On the treatment-planning side, we have made meaningful progress. Two international transplant centres have confirmed they are willing and able to treat the children and have been highly responsive and compassionate. We are now working closely with their clinical teams, alongside our local transplant specialists, to map out the safest and best path forward for each child. We hope to have a clearer direction next week and will share updates as soon as we can.
Thank you to everyone who continues to walk this road with us. Your messages, prayers, support, and love mean more than you know. We’ve put up a photo of the kids on a happier day. Their resilience and natural joy for life is beautiful.
