A Kirkwood mother is desperate for her young son to undergo much-needed and expensive heart surgery, hoping he will one day lead a happy and normal life.
Nomthandazo Stofile said her wish was for 13-year-old Yibanathi to return to school before the end of the year.
Yibanathi is receiving treatment for outlet ventricular septal defect — a hole in his heart.
Stofile said she feared if he did not have the surgery soon, his condition might worsen and he would never be able to attend school or enjoy a healthy adult life.
“So far he has been doing well and passed all his grades and also excels in soccer, but we fear that if he does not receive the surgery all of this might just be a dream for him,” she said.
Yibanathi dreams of one day playing for one of the biggest soccer teams in SA.
About 500 Eastern Cape children are on a heart surgery waiting list at Dora Nginza Hospital and Yibanathi is one of them.
If they don’t receive the surgery, they might suffer other side effects or even die, according to the Pelo Foundation.
It is estimated that one out of every 1,000 babies is born with congenital heart disease and every six hours a newborn is added to the waiting list.
The Pelo Foundation has partnered with the Busamed Private Hospital Group and Wings & Wishes, which transports the children and an accompanying guardian to Busamed Hospital in Johannesburg for treatment.
The Pelo Foundation raises funds to ensure that children with congenital heart disease receive life-saving surgery and continue to receive medical treatment that could give them a chance to live normal lives.
Since its inception in 2021, the foundation and its partners have ensured that 13 children received the much-needed surgery.
A BackaBuddy crowdfunding account has been set up for Yibanathi in the hope that he can receive the surgery soon.
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