{"id":59313,"date":"2026-05-03T10:09:09","date_gmt":"2026-05-03T10:09:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/59313\/"},"modified":"2026-05-03T10:09:09","modified_gmt":"2026-05-03T10:09:09","slug":"grandparents-take-on-italian-alps-in-tribute-to-late-grandson","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/59313\/","title":{"rendered":"Grandparents take on Italian Alps in tribute to late grandson"},"content":{"rendered":"

The grandparents of 10-year-old Reagan Havinga, who died from Adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD), will cycle through the Italian Alps to raise funds for Msunduzi Hospice, whih supported the family during Reagan\u2019s final months.<\/p>\n

Reagan was just 10 years old when he was diagnosed with ALD and died a short eight months later from the rare genetic disorder often misdiagnosed in South Africa as ADHD. <\/p>\n

ALSO READ | Community rallies behind Reagan<\/a><\/p>\n

Reagan\u2019s story touched many in Pietermaritzburg after\u00a0The Witness\u00a0and its sister paper,\u00a0Maritzburg Sun, covered his parents\u2019 journey to raise awareness around ALD in 2022.<\/p>\n

\"10-year-old10-year-old Reagan Havinga. Photo: Supplied<\/p>\n

This May, his grandparents, Tinus (74) and Ann Havinga (60) will take part in the Giro d\u2019Italia, aiming to raise R100 000 through GivenGain to help Msunduzi Hospice continue its vital work.<\/p>\n

So far, they have raised R19 215 through the crowdfunding platform.<\/p>\n

The couple will travel to Italy on May 10 to participate in one of the world\u2019s oldest cycling races. They will begin at stage 10 on May 19 and end at stage 15 on May 24.<\/p>\n

For them, the event is more than a cycling challenge it is a journey of remembrance for their grandson.<\/p>\n

ALSO READ | WATCH | Msunduzi Hospice Easter fair draws crowds in celebration of community and care<\/a><\/p>\n

Tinus said the ride, which begins in Marina di Massa and ends in Milan, is a way of carrying Reagan\u2019s spirit across mountains and valleys while keeping his memory alive.<\/p>\n

\u201cReagan was our superhero, and it is that superhero strength we will summon as we ride 400km through Italy\u2019s iconic cycling terrain,\u201d said Havinga.<\/p>\n

He said the fundraising effort was also a tribute to the care and compassion the family received from Msunduzi Hospice.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn those final months, Msunduzi Hospice became a sanctuary. The nurses offered not just medical care, but compassion, dignity and support. That kindness was unforgettable. This ride is not only for Reagan it is also for Hospice. We are very thankful to sister Jo Roberson who was the ever-caring face of Hospice,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Tinus, an experienced cyclist, has previously competed in four UCI Gran Fondo World Series events, winning two gold medals in time trials in Trento, Italy, and Chania, Greece, as well as a bronze medal in South Africa and a silver medal in a road race in Greece.<\/p>\n

ALSO READ | Couple turn gardening passion into service at hospice<\/a><\/p>\n

The couple\u2019s route will include several shortened stages of the Giro d\u2019Italia, beginning along the Ligurian coast and through Tuscany before heading across Piedmont and Lake Como. <\/p>\n

Their toughest challenge will be Stage 14, a 90km mountain stage ending at the Pila ski resort in the Aosta Valley, featuring a steep 15.9km climb with an average gradient of 7.3%.<\/p>\n

For Tinus and Ann, the ride is not about speed or medals, but about honouring Reagan\u2019s memory and turning loss into hope.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe hope our journey inspires people to support Hospice and help keep Reagan\u2019s legacy alive,\u201d they said.<\/p>\n

To donate towards the initiative, use the following GiveGain link<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The grandparents of 10-year-old Reagan Havinga, who died from Adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD), will cycle through the Italian Alps to…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":59314,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[32938,50,4664,32939,32940,1047,1202,32941],"class_list":{"0":"post-59313","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-alps","8":"tag-adrenoleukodystrophy-ald","9":"tag-alps","10":"tag-fundraising","11":"tag-kzn","12":"tag-msunduzi-hospice","13":"tag-national-news","14":"tag-news","15":"tag-tinus-74-and-ann-havinga-60"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@ch\/116510101648853653","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59313","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=59313"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59313\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/59314"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=59313"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=59313"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=59313"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}