A 20-year-old single mother and her family are desperately seeking assistance to help reconstruct her three-month-old baby boy’s cleft palate.
It has not been an easy journey for the young mother and baby, who was born prematurely at 34 weeks on 2 June. “He was not healthy at birth and when we finally met him, we were completely shocked and in disbelief due to the cleft,” said the mother, who requested that their identities be withheld. She told The Ladysmith Herald that her baby required a feeding tube and only weighed 1.2kg. She further explained that most of the medical costs have been paid by her parents and the Al-Imdaad Foundation and said that she is extremely grateful for all their help, however, “It will make my heart happy if I could find help to have his cleft fixed,” said the first-time mother, who added that it broke her heart to see her little man suffer the way he did.
“To finally take him home, after weeks in the hospital, was one of the happiest times in my life.” She said that it is still a struggle with the feeding and making sure that her baby is healthy and well. “We have our good days and our not-so-good days, but it has taught me to have patience with him.” The baby boy watched every move his mother made as she spoke about him and the love and blessings he has brought to her life and the lives of her family. “We don’t see the cleft palate anymore, we see the boy,” smiled the mother.
The mother, who is unemployed but trying to complete her studies in law through Unisa, said that finding a balance with nursing the baby and getting studies done is a little tricky. “I really want to complete my studies so that I can look after myself and my little boy and maybe even get the surgery needed.” She said that it would be life changing for her baby if they can have the surgery done. “It is close to R500 000 to get the surgery done and there is no way that I or my family could even dream of getting the money together.” The young mother requested that NPOs, or anyone else who can help bring a smile to her baby’s face, please contact her on 073-708-6524 or 084-240-6782 to assist.
