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

What the report says

At 21, Brandon Booysen of Randfontein in Gauteng is living with end-stage kidney disease and serious bone complications after being diagnosed with chronic kidney disease as a child. The Health-e report, republished by AllAfrica, says he is now bedridden, has difficulty sitting up for long, and depends on his mother, Lucille Booysen, for daily care.

According to the article, Brandon was born with multiple medical conditions affecting his kidneys, bladder and spine, and has had more than 50 surgeries and procedures. He began dialysis as a teenager and later moved from public to private care after his medical team said he needed a higher level of treatment. He now receives home haemodialysis three times a week, with a nurse assisting, because travelling to a dialysis centre could worsen his fragile condition.

The story highlights the financial pressure on the family. Lucille says the household relies on her partner’s income and medical aid contributions, but savings on the plan are used up early in the year, forcing them to pay cash for some medicine, tests and other costs. She says they have struggled to cover rent, food, electricity and medical expenses, and has sold belongings to help meet the bills. Brandon also awaits possible reassessment for a kidney transplant, which his doctors say depends on improving hormone levels.

More broadly, the article points to ongoing inequality in South Africa’s dialysis access between public and private health care, especially for young adults moving between paediatric and adult services.