Meet Joshua

Love truly has no boundaries. Marvin Philander and his wife from Southfield, in the Western Cape, thought their little family was complete. They had two beautiful sons whom they nurtured with love and care. And then life happened. Due to circumstances, a relative could not take care of her baby, and the loving couple reached out to take care of the little boy, Joshua, whom they legally adopted six months ago.

Marvin glances lovingly at Joshua, now four years old, as he describes the little boy’s character and personality.

“He is a go-getter; he is a jolly boy. He can be mischievous, but he is a well-mannered boy.” The love Marvin has for this little child is very apparent and heart-warming.

Marvin and his wife noticed that Joshua’s leg was longer than the other when the little boy was only a year and a half.

They were referred to Red Cross Children’s Hospital, where doctors discovered that the fibula in Joshua’s right leg was shorter than the one in his left leg. He has a congenital short femur which means that as he grows older the right leg will always be shorter. For treatment Joshua has an external fixator to elongate his leg. This will allow for the growth of a new bone.

The active little boy has been attending the Hospital annually for assessments and monitoring of the growth of his right leg as he develops. Doctors decided that they would operate on him this year to extend his leg by putting a gap between his fibula and knee. The fibula bone would then go through his knee which would consequently extend his leg.

The grateful dad’s face beams as he expresses his joy at his little boy’s progress since the operation approximately three weeks ago.

“So far, everything has been successful, and the hospital care is excellent. Joshua was assessed today, and they are very happy with his progress. Thus far, bone growth of one centimetre has been achieved, and four centimetres are needed to fill the gap.”

Marvin says that his journey with Joshua has been an amazing one. While the road has not been easy at times, he is blown away by the level of care Joshua and all the children receive. After not knowing what to expect, he admires the positive environment and how successfully problems are resolved; he is eternally grateful to Red Cross Children’s Hospital.

Joshua has adjusted very well to his condition, according to his dad. He will be assessed regularly at Red Cross for the next few years and will be operated on again when he’s eight. Marvin has some last thoughts for parents in a similar situation: “If your kids are here, they are in good care. You have nothing to worry about; the care is excellent. The doctors and nurses are excellent – the system works.”

Help Red Cross improve the lives of little patients by donating towards a new Orthopaedic Unit that will benefit thousands of children every month. 100% of your donation goes directly towards the project.