Cape Town - “Our angel has gained his wings and is with Jesus. We love you Tyrell Jaden Arendse. You are free to soar with the angels.”
These were the words of Goodwood mother Jade Arendse, saying goodbye to her son Tyrell, 7, who passed away in her arms on Sunday, after suffering a four-year-long battle with a rare brain disease called Batten Disease.
Only one in every 200 000 people carry the gene for Batten Disease, in which genetic mutations disrupt the cells ability to dispose of wastes. It is usually characterised by fits, blindness, and deteriorating mental and physical development. Tyrell was one of two children in South Africa with the disease.
A heartbroken Arendse said: “It is very sad for us as a family but we knew this day would come.”
She added that her son went peacefully in her, his grandma and his father’s arms.
“It was not easy watching him take his last breathe but he had pneumonia and he was really suffering. The family had been praying for God to relieve him and now he’s suffering is over,” said Arendse.