MY SON IS BACK HOME!

After almost a month in hospital the little boy who survived a freak accident at his preschool is reunited with his family

- JOHANÉ SCOTT

IF THERE’S one thing she wants to tell other parents it’s this: remove all strings from your child’s clothing.

“It doesn’t matter how much the item cost,” Helga Muller says. “Remove the strings. It could cost your child their life.”

And she should know. Her five-year-old son, Marno, was nearly strangled to death when the string of his hoodie became caught in the slide he was playing on at his preschool. He then spent weeks fighting for his life in hospital (YOU, 30 June).

But today there’s much cause for celebration in Helga’s flat in Brakpan, Ekurhuleni. Marno has defied the odds and is back home – and although there’s a long road ahead, every small triumph is cherished by Helga and Rudi, her ex-husband.

During the 28 days Marno spent in the paediatric ICU at the Netcare Garden City Hospital in Johannesburg, Helga prepared herself for the worst.