At just 10 months old, a baby girl who was born with a hole in her heart is growing stronger after a life-changing operation.
Thacious Makwala, whose name means “creativity” and is a combination of her father Thabang and mother Precious’s names, is the latest beneficiary of the Heart to Heart Campaign.
Cardiothoracic surgeon and co-founder of the Maboneng Heart and Lung Institute Dr Erich Schürmann said the baby girl was born with ventricular septal defect (VSD), a large hole in the wall between the two lower chambers of the heart.
“Unfortunately, as the child grows, this type of heart defect tends to damage the arteries of the lungs and this therefore needs to be corrected as soon as possible,” said Schürmann.
Thacious’s mother, Precious Makwala, said it was a difficult journey for the family since they found out there was something wrong with Thacious’s heart.
The mother said she had no experience with babies, as Thacious is her first-born, but her late mother’s older sister, Dorcus Manganye, first realised there might be something wrong with Thacious. She took Thacious to Dr CN Phatudi Hospital, which is not too far from where the family lives in Pulaneng, near Tzaneen in Limpopo.
“It was very stressful because we didn’t know what was wrong. At the hospital they performed some tests and when they found there was a problem with her heart, they referred us to Letaba Hospital, and from there to Polokwane Provincial Hospital. It came as a huge shock when on 19 April this year, Thacious was diagnosed with a hole in her heart,” said Makwala.
She added that the doctors told the family that she could get better with an operation, but there was a long waiting list and as time went by her heart problem was causing more damage to her body.
“We were so worried, but then at Steve Biko Academic Hospital the doctors told us there was a chance she could have the operation much sooner with help from the private sector. The hospital wrote a report and assisted us with the application, which ultimately led to Thacious being considered for surgery at Netcare Sunninghill Hospital.”
Schürmann said when Thacious’s condition was brought to their attention, the doctors knew that they had to act quickly to give her the best chance of a normal life and prevent her developing potentially life-threatening consequences because of untreated VSD.
The specialised VSD closure procedure to repair baby Thacious’s heart defect was performed by cardiothoracic surgeons Schürmann and Dr Hendrick Mamorare of the Maboneng Heart and Lung Institute and paediatric cardiologist Dr Jane Pilusa, who practises at Netcare Sunninghill Hospital in Sandton.
After the operation, which was performed on September 7, Thacious spent just three nights in hospital before she was well enough to be discharged.
“She has so much more energy now and her appetite is much better. Just a month after the operation, she’s gaining weight already. She likes eating soft porridge with milk and when we put songs on at home, she gets all excited and moves to the music – I think she will be a good dancer one day,” her mother said.
“She is not even a year old, and although she has already been through so much, our little girl is always smiling.”
@Chulu_M