What a journey it has been for Daniella’s mom, Egnes Moyo, who experienced what most would describe as the worst pregnancy ever. Egnes had excruciating pain throughout her pregnancy cycle. “The pain was so bad, it felt as if my organs were being crushed,” says Egnes.
Egnes went for a neonatal scan at her local hospital and discovered that her baby was in a breech position. She was referred to Mowbray Maternity Hospital in Cape Town because of the seriousness of the situation. A breeched baby’s pelvis or hips deliver first and the mom’s pelvis may not be large enough for the head to be delivered too. This can result in the baby getting stuck in the birth canal, which can cause injury or death. The umbilical cord may also be damaged or blocked, which can reduce the baby’s oxygen supply.
Strangely, a follow up scan revealed that Egnes’ womb was empty! A more advanced scan showed, to much surprise and dismay, that baby Daniella was nowhere to be seen.
Egnes was immediately sent to Groote Schuur Hospital as it was a high-risk pregnancy and she needed another examination by the hospital’s specialists.
“I was told that Daniella was literally laying an inch from my heart! No wonder I was in pain – this was not normal. They also told me that there was a possibility of Daniella being born with deformities,” says Egnes.
A team consisting of a cardiologist and a gynaecologist performed a delicate procedure to remove baby Daniella. Five hours later, Egnes returned from theatre with a beautiful baby girl. Whilst she was not born with any deformities, her lungs however were severely damaged due to the lack of fluids received during her growth process.
Daniella was on a ventilator for 7 days to assist with her breathing. She required steroids to strengthen her lungs which resulted in her remaining in hospital for a month. During this time, she was moved from the ventilator to the Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) Machine which is a treatment for obstructive sleep apnoea. A CPAP machine uses a hose and mask or nosepiece to deliver constant and steady air pressure. Eventually Daniella was able to breathe on her own and was allowed to go home.
