Cape Town Family Broken After 13-Year-Old Football Star Dies From Meningitis at Tygerberg Hospital

• A 13-year-old Cape Town soccer player with dreams of making it big has tragically passed away after a sudden illness
• The young football talent’s family is mourning after doctors confirmed a serious condition following his hospital admission
• His loved ones have opened up about the heartbreaking final days of a teenager who wanted to make his family proud

A Cape Town family is shattered after their 13-year-old soccer star, Cayden Downes, tragically died from meningitis at Tygerberg Hospital on Father’s Day.

According to the family, Cayden’s symptoms started as flu-like signs before escalating into a serious condition that led to his hospitalisation. His mother, Roslyn, lamented her sorrow while speaking to Son, saying she was still trying to make sense of the tragedy.

She described her son as a talented young soccer player with huge ambitions of playing overseas and making his family proud.

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“I didn’t see any sign that my child would die that day. He was still eating. He was still talking, and then everything happened suddenly.”

The family said Cayden started complaining about discomfort on 8 June. His symptoms appeared to be those of an ordinary flu, and they did not initially take it seriously.

“We treated it like a normal flu. He said his head hurt a lot, but we thought the medication would help.”

Even though he had complained about not feeling well, Cayden managed to attend school and wrote his Grade 7 exams on 19 June before his condition took a turn for the worse.

Tygerberg Hospital doctors confirmed meningitis diagnosis

Cayden was hospitalised days later, where doctors raised concerns about meningitis due to his severe headaches.

“The doctor said it could be meningitis, but they gave antibiotics and said we should bring him back if he didn’t get better.”

Initially, after starting treatment, Cayden’s condition improved before it worsened again. He was then referred to Tygerberg Hospital, where doctors performed a lumbar puncture and confirmed meningitis was the cause of his illness.

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Roslyn added that her son was still in good spirits on Saturday, 20 June, despite continuing to complain about headaches. She said the situation became more serious after a CT scan the following day.

“He wanted to speak, but his words wouldn’t come out. He just mumbled. Then I started to get scared.”

Roslyn said Cayden later told them he felt something abnormal with his heartbeat, which was beating too fast.

“I had to call his father and say something was wrong with the child. By the time he arrived, they were resuscitating Cayden.”

Despite doctors’ efforts to save the teenage soccer star’s life, he sadly passed away on Sunday afternoon, Father’s Day.

“His father is broken. He sat with him the whole time. No one thought he would die that day.”

Cayden was a gifted soccer player

Roslyn said Cayden’s greatest love was soccer.

“He always said he was going to be famous one day and play overseas. He said he was going to buy me a house.”

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Cayden was laid to rest on Saturday, 27 June. He was remembered by his school community as a diligent learner, a gifted soccer player, and a model of good sportsmanship. He was a learner at Belmor Primary School.

See the post below on Facebook.

His heartbreaking death follows the passing of a young George karate champion and the tragic death of a young rugby star in Johannesburg.

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Source: Briefly News