Meet Khazimla

Shine bright. That is the premise behind little Khazimla‘s name, the firstborn of Khayelitsha mom, Nobuntu. With such a profound name bestowed on her, this little one is destined to bring hope and healing to her family. And indeed, even in infancy, she has lived up to it.

When one-year-old Khazimla was born, she was perfectly healthy.

“She was so beautiful and angelic; I remember her being placed on my chest with her head full of soft curls,” says Nobuntu as she cradles her little girl just minutes before her baby is wheeled into one of the theatres at Tygerberg Hospital. The Hospital has recently piloted its Weekend Waiting List Programme. Every second Saturday, paediatric surgeons now conduct elective surgeries. Elective or non-urgent surgeries are often bumped down the list due to more life-threatening surgeries being prioritised.

According to Consultant Paediatric Surgeon at the Hospital, Dr Corné de Vos, for every 5 surgeries done on a Saturday, 10 others are added to the list by the clinics. These surgeries have a backlog of 3 years which was further affected by the Covid-19 lockdown restrictions.

Little Khazimla is fortunate to be one of eight children to receive surgery today. This will also be a financial relief for her family. Nobuntu spent R100 for every monthly hospital visit for a return trip from Khayelitsha to Tygerberg before the surgery. The unemployed mom could barely afford this as she had to pay for the transport from the R500 social grant that Khazimla receives.

Nobuntu is grateful, albeit anxious, as tears involuntarily fill her eyes as she thinks about her precious little baby being attached to big machines. This a fear that every mother has, but it’s even worse for this first-time mom. Nobuntu wipes her tears quickly in an attempt to regain her inner courage and strength, an innate quality that mothers have – the power to soldier on.

Nobuntu tells us that a few months after birth, Khazimla started developing an irritation in her neck, which grew to an external gland on the left side; it now looks like a big pimple. It itches, and the little one often tries to scratch it.

“I don’t know what caused it, but she often scratches it, and I get scared that she will bleed. I must also constantly explain to other parents at the clinic check-ups, explain something that I don’t understand the cause of myself,” the anxious mom says.

Today, Dr Corné and her team set out to remove the gland and send it for histology which may be able to determine what it is and the cause. The surgery takes about an hour, and Khazimla is reunited with her mom. The first thing the little one does is latch on to her mommy’s breast. Nobuntu smiles with relief as she gazes at her baby’s beautiful face. Finally, it’s over. Her baby is back in her comforting and loving arms.

Every cent donated to the Weekend Waiting List Programme helps improve the lives of little ones like Khazimla. These surgeries provide medical healing and corrective cosmetic appearances, which help boost both the children’s and their parents’ confidence.