Fundraiser to aid funeral costs for Nederland teen “Iron Man”

Published 12:18 am Tuesday, February 20, 2024

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

NEDERLAND — A fundraiser has been set up to help with funeral costs for a Nederland High School student who lost his battle with cancer Friday.

Funds are being raised for Andre van Aswegen, 18, who was diagnosed with metastatic Ewing Sarcoma.

Anna Botha set up the gofundme account titled “Andre van Aswegen.”

Subscribe to our free email newsletter

Get the latest news sent to your inbox

“We would like to help the family cover costs of his memorial and medical expenses. Andre fought like a warrior until the end. Please pray for his parents, siblings, fiancée and many friends as they navigate through this difficult time,” Botha said on the fundraising site.

Andrè van Aswegen was diagnosed with bone cancer in April 2022, with the main tumor in his left pelvis, which spread to his back and left torso.

In November 2022 he was declared cancer free after undergoing chemotherapy and radiation.

But in April 2023, van Aswegen developed a brain tumor and received multiple radiation treatments. By August he was battling his third brain tumor and undergoing treatment and had, by that time, multiple surgeries.

The van Aswegens moved to the United States from South Africa in 2016, starting in Louisiana. In 2020, they moved to Nederland.

The family has a nickname of sorts for Andrè — Iron Man. In the family’s native language, there is a phrase that roughly translates to Iron and it was adapted to represent Andrè. He was called their “Iron Man.”

A gathering of friends and family will be held a 10 a.m. Sunday at Broussard’s Mortuary in Nederland, with a service to follow at 11 a.m. Internment will follow at Memory Gardens, 3098 N. Highway 69 in Nederland.