Sunday, 18 June, will be one of the most heartbreaking Father’s Day for the Naidoo family of Rainham, Phoenix, after Brenton and Serisha Naidoo laid to rest their youngest daughter, 15-months-old Taylor Eden Naidoo, who lost her battle to a rare heart condition at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli Hospital after a long and hard fight.
Baby Taylor, as she was affectionately known to the community and her family, passed away on 6 June while she was on the road to recovery at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli Hospital where she was admitted for 29 days following a surgery. Her father, mother and older sister had been expecting to bring the toddler home after her surgery, to spend her second Father’s Day with her dad.
Instead, on Friday, 9 June, thousands watched her funeral on social media platforms while a large number of the community attended her final farewell at her family home in Rainham, Phoenix, to pay their final respects and offer condolences to her grieving parents.
The toddler was described as a ‘strong little fighter’ who fought all odds and thrived to live, making everlasting memories with loved ones, despite doctors saying she won’t live beyond 15 days after birth. Devastated by the loss of their daughter, Brenton and Serisha Naidoo said they wished this was just a bad dream.
Speaking to the Phoenix Tabloid, Taylor’s mom, Serisha said on the day that the 15-month-old passed away, she was extremely excited and hopeful that her daughter would come home after a long stay in hospital.
She said: “It was also the first day I got to hold her in my arms after 28 days. I gave her a bath, cleaned her tracheostomy tube and sang to her, little did I know that I was holding my angel for the last time. Her heart gave up and there was nothing that the doctors’ could do. She was resuscitated, the doctors were able to regain her heartbeat but it was extremely low. It stopped and everything went off. I felt no greater pain than the moment when her heart stopped beating.”
Serisha said it was a hard and difficult journey but that Taylor was a fighter and inspired a lot of people. “Taylor was everything to me, she was my every heartbeat and breath that I took every day. I refused to give up on her and fought for her until the end. Even when the doctors’ gave up, I didn’t because I was so confident that I will bring her home. If you are a mother, love your children and give them everything that you possibly can because I would do anything to hold our child one more time or be given extra time to spend with her. If there was anything I could have done for my child, I would have done it in a heartbeat, whether it was to give my own heart or liver because I wanted her to live, I wanted her to lead a healthy and normal life and to see her grow before my eyes,” said the emotional mother.
Taylor was diagnosed with Tretralogy of Fallot at birth. This meant that her heart had four defects and her main aorta was narrowing down and would eventually be unable to supply oxygen and blood to her vital organs. She was also born with a rare genetic abnormality in her chromosomes which hospitals were unable to identify even after running numerous tests.
Taylor was a candidate for a open heart surgery at the Fortis Hospital in Mumbai, India and was expected to fly out soon. Earlier this year, her parents created a “Save Taylor’s Heart” page on Facebook, in an effort to raise funds for Taylor’s heart surgery.
The Naidoo family required a total of R500 000 for the surgery inclusive of evaluation costs, blood work, flights, accommodation and any other additional costs. “We were still in the midst of raising enough funds for the open heart surgery and needed to go with a team of doctors with their own specialised equipment to fly and get her there. We want to thank everybody that contributed in any way towards trying to save Taylor’s life, whether you contributed R5 or R10, we are ever so grateful and thankful for your endless support. We also want to thank all the doctors, nurses and other staff at Inkosi Albert Luthuli Hospital for everything that they have done for Taylor. Her legacy will live on,” said Naidoo.
Taylor’s story and how it touched the lives of many has inspired the Naidoo’s to start ‘Hope for TEN Foundation’. “My husband and I will not sit back because our own daughter is gone but we will study her case thoroughly and help other children out there with this type of condition. While in hospital with Taylor, I realised it wasn’t just her who needed the surgery but so many other babies. We will educate mothers about this type of condition and fully support them. We will do our best to help and make a difference in the lives of many children as we can. Sometimes we come across posts of babies needing some sort of help on social media, we bypass it and carry on with our lives – we want to encourage people to become agents of change and help make a difference in a child’s life because we know what we went through with our daughter,” said Naidoo.
Tributes have poured in on social media as friends and family took the time to send their condolences to Taylor’s grieving family. “God’s strength and comfort to the family to bear this huge loss. Rest well baby Taylor”, said Sharlene Chengelrayen on Facebook.
“Our heart felt condolences to the family, sorry for your loss but heaven has gained an angel. We are all praying for comfort over you all during this time of bereavement, from RSM ministry and leadership,” said Lynette Pentiah. Trevor Pillay said: “My deepest condolences to the family. She was truly a warrior princess”, while Leanne Govender posted: “I’m so sorry, we prayed for your baby. Fly high with the angels baby girl.”
Baby Taylor’s remains were cremated at the Clare Estate Crematorium after funeral proceedings that took place at her home in Rainham.
