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10 | THE REVIEW SEP–DEC 2023 Milestones and happiness for the Botha family Sijia and Shane Botha are grateful for the Cerebral Palsy Society’s support. By MELANIE LOUDEN Every child reaches milestones at different ages and stages. Some milestones come quite naturally, others take patience, persistence and determination to achieve. Kevin Botha’s parents, Sijia and Shane, will tell you that every milestone is worth celebrating. For the Auckland couple, the moment their seven-year-old son spelt his name earlier this year was definitely a milestone worthy of celebration. “Kevin spelt his name for the first time by selecting the right letters and putting them in the right order,” Shane says. “They’ve been teaching him to do that since he started school, and now he’s done it. “It’s such a small thing, but it’s such a massive thing as well.” Kevin spelling his name was a massive milestone moment for him, his parents and teachers. Kevin, who is hard of hearing and has worn hearing aids since he was six months old, was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy when he was around eight months old. His parents signed him up as a member of the Cerebral Palsy Society soon after, and this year, he is the face of the Society’s Be Green & Be Seen campaign. Kevin’s Cerebral Palsy was caused by a hypoxic brain injury at birth (when a baby’s brain does not get enough oxygen before or shortly after birth). “There’s this mix of emotions,” Shane says. “He came out completely flat and you were scared he was going to die. And then they managed to resuscitate him and it’s a bit of relief. But then there’s that worry in the back of your mind…..” Kevin was in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)