A Bayview woman is excited to experience her first Mother’s Day this Sunday, 11 May, after a long-awaited 12-year period, during which she was challenged by various medical conditions.
Christina Chetty, founder of the Montego Children’s Project, was unable to fall pregnant after being diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), thyroid issues, and diabetes. She believes her pregnancy is nothing short of a miracle.
Her journey to motherhood has been rough and traumatic, with her daughter, Paisley Eloise, arriving three months early and weighing just 970 grams.
“Before my baby was born, I was told to prepare for the worst, as her lungs were not fully formed. My husband and I decided that it was time for faith over fear. Paisley spent three months in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) under the care of the excellent staff at City Hospital in Durban. It was incredibly hard seeing our baby on a ventilator and hooked up to tubes, but we had to hang in there. Special thanks and appreciation go to the maternity and labour staff, as well as the nurses who were our support system during this trying time. The NICU team were Paisley’s mothers when I couldn’t hold, touch, feed, or even comfort her.
“The day finally arrived for us to take our baby girl home. It was only through the Almighty, prayer, and faith that this became possible. I never thought I would have my own child. I had settled for taking care of other children in need through my organisation. Paisley is now a healthy, feisty, and smart little 10-month-old, reaching her milestones and ready to take on the world,” Chetty said.
She believes that, just like the story in the Holy Bible where an angel tells a barren woman she will conceive, a similar moment occurred in her life.
“A little child came to me a year before I fell pregnant and asked me where my baby was. I was surprised. When I asked her the gender of the baby, she said it was a baby girl and that her name was Paisley. My advice to all the women out there who are crying out for a baby is not to lose hope. Hold on to faith, and your miracle will arrive in God’s time,” she added.
Chetty began the Montego Children’s Project 12 years ago. What started as providing 30 Christmas gifts to children has grown to donating over 1,000 gifts annually.
When asked about the vision behind the project, she said: “I grew up surrounded by poverty. When my dad passed away when I was 10 years old, my mum struggled financially. I know what it’s like to be a child in need. However, we had family, friends, and church members who helped us. After completing school and tertiary education, and once I got my first permanent job, I decided to give back. Saying thank you to everyone who helped me didn’t feel like enough, but helping others, the way I was helped, felt like the right thing to do. It brought me and still brings me great joy to support these children. Even while I was pregnant and while Paisley was in NICU fighting for her life, it didn’t stop me from going out, distributing care packs for teenage girls, and running fundraising drives.”
The management and staff of the Merebank and Chatsworth Tabloid wishes all readers and advertisers a Happy Mother’s Day.
