Meet Amoheleng

No one can break the bond between a mother and her child. It is also the love that a mother has for her child that makes it extremely difficult to watch when the little one is in agony – you wish to take the pain away.

Masiphumelele mother, Ntofela Makhele, knows this first-hand.

Ntofela’s four-year-old daughter Amoheleng got burnt.

Amo, as she affectionately calls her little one, had accidentally pulled a kettle filled with boiled water by its wire. The water was for her mother, who was busy preparing to make a cup of tea.

“When it happened, I froze. I didn’t know what to do. Luckily my sister was around and assisted me with removing Amo’s clothing,” Ntofela explains.

The pair went to a local clinic before being transferred to Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital, where Amo spent a little more than a week. The Hospital is the only facility with a paediatric care burns unit in the Western Cape, the unit serves approximately 320 patients every month.

Amo sustained 10 % burn wounds to the face and across various parts of her body. Her face was bandaged with only her little brown eyes peeping through and her little nose and mouth.

She sits drinking her juice through the straw, making a slurping sound but her eyes fixed on her mom.

Ntofela stands and looks at the little angel with a beam in her eyes, expressing the love and care she holds so close in her heart.

“When we arrived at the Hospital, I was in fear, and I just wanted to take the pain away from my child. The nurses and doctors’ care, love and understanding made my and Amo’s experience a little more comforting. They ensured that not only was my daughter okay, but I was too. Somehow this strengthened our bond” she says.

After being discharged, Amo will have to attend regular check-ups at the Hospital. The unemployed mother worries about how she will be able to fund transportation for these visits. She lives 34,7 kilometres away, a 40-minute drive by private car. While for public transport it is two taxi rides which can cost her about R100 a return trip. Transport costs are essential to ensure little ones like Amo have what they need for their physical rehabilitation through the Hospital’s physiotherapy and occupational therapy departments and in some cases plastic surgery.

Through the Children’s Hospital Trust and Red Cross Hospital Family Care Project, Ntofela will not need to worry about transport costs. The Family Care Project helps families such as Ntofela’s with transportation funds, food hampers and emergency relief materials. They will get the support they need to ensure Amo heals and thrives. It will also show Ntofela that she is not alone; there is a network of carers to help vulnerable families.

Help us spread the love, care and support to vulnerable little ones and families by donating to the Family Care Project. 100 % of your donation will go directly towards the project.