Somila Nguta from Strand in Cape Town was walking with her friends along the main road when they suddenly decided to cross the road. Somila was hesitant and stayed behind but quickly changed her mind and proceeded to cross the road. In just about a split second, Somila was knocked by a car.
Traffic officers on the scene called for an ambulance who rushed Somila to Somerset West Hospital where she was then referred to the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital in Cape Town. Somila’s friends hurried to alert her mom, Princess Nguta, about the accident.
Upon arrival at the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital, doctors discovered that Somila’s intestines were severely damaged and both her legs were broken. She immediately underwent two surgeries to repair the damage to her body, of which both were successful.
Princess says that the injuries her daughter sustained as a result of the car crash felt unreal for her – “it looked like a scene from a movie”, she says. She thanks the medical staff who saved Somila’s life and for being so helpful and attentive during their stay at the hospital.
Somila is receiving physiotherapy and is recovering well.
She is one of 45 000 thousand children who enter the doors of the Emergency Centre annually. Each child requires specialised life-saving care which passionate and dedicated medical staff provide daily. At present, the Emergency Centre is undergoing an upgrade and expansion to provide these unsung heroes with better facilities and equipment to cater for the ever-increasing number of children entering its doors. Let’s help enhance their environment so that challenges such as overcrowding, lack of space and inefficient logistics, can be addressed. Sr Nxumalo who helps to save lives in the Emergency Centre, tells us more in this video.
Visit www.childrenshospitaltrust.org.za/donate and #Leave_Your Mark on Life.
