Meet Azosule

He was born a spitting image of his late sister. Shocked, overwhelmed and filled with joy, his mother named him Azosule. He was the one to wipe his mother, Akhona’s tears after losing her firstborn daughter who died following a short illness six years ago.

Sadly, her joy did not last long. Akhona would be in and out of the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital wards, where Azosule would receive specialised, holistic paediatric care in a child-centred environment.  It was also where Akhona would get the comfort and counselling she needed to heal from the grief of losing her baby girl while she witnessed her little boy heal and thrive.

Little Azosule was only five months old when doctors at the Hospital discovered that the infant had excess cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the brain. They performed shunt surgery, where a thin tube called a shunt was implanted in his brain to drain and redirect the fluid from his brain.

Two months later, Akhona brought her little baby back to the Hospital. She said she was concerned as Azosule had a lot of fatigue and was vomiting. He has been at the Hospital for two weeks now.

“If it was not for the staff at the Hospital, I don’t think I would be as strong as I am right now,” says Akhona. Tenderly stroking her little boy’s head as he sleeps angelically in the baby cot beside her, she says, “I know he will be okay, but it is hard.”

The little glimmer of hope Akhona has of seeing Azosule play subsides every now and again. But knowing that her son is in an environment beneficial to his healing, growth and development gives this mom peace of mind. The safe and stimulating multi-purpose Therapeutic Playground is a space that will encourage Azosule’s healing journey. It will also provide Akhona with a safe space to clear her head from time to time.

“I know that one day when he is a little bit older, he, too, will play and learn in that Therapeutic Playground. And I look forward to that day,” she smiles.

Help us build a dream Therapeutic Playground for the little ones that will promote healing through play and provide a safe space for parents to reconnect their thoughts. Donate to the Children’s Hospital Trust 100% of your donations will go directly to the cause.