Page 29 - Waterfall City Issue 10 October 2024

answered the phone, and they told us that the Foundations
had arranged for Dante to be helped at one of the country’s
leading cardiovascular centres, in a private hospital.

“When my husband told me, I didn’t believe him until we had
to send copies of our IDs and all Dante’s hospital letters and
referrals, then I realised what was happening. We were so happy
that we both jumped on our phones to share the wonderful
news with our parents and friends back home in Makhado. It
felt like a dream come true,” says Jennifer.

Jennifer spent the first night in the hospital with Dante before
the procedure. The specialised operation was performed
by cardiothoracic surgeons Dr Schürmann and Dr Martin
Myburgh of the Maboneng Heart and Lung Institute, paediatric
cardiologist Dr Janine Meares, who practices at Netcare
Sunninghill Hospital, and anaesthetist Dr Krishnee Naidoo.

Dante made a rapid recovery in the specialised paediatric
cardiothoracic intensive care unit after the procedure and was
discharged from the hospital just three days later. “They even
arranged for us to stay at the hospital’s lodge within walking
Dante with his parents Jennifer and Stefan, and registered nurse Doris distance. Until then, we stayed with family two hours’ drive
Ramoleta at Netcare Sunninghill Hospital.
away. We stayed at the lodge for a couple of weeks during
Dante’s recovery,” Dante’s father Stefan says.
led the medical team that donated their time and expertise pro
bono to assist Dante at Netcare Sunninghill Hospital. “I want to say a huge thank you to the Netcare and Maboneng
Foundations and all of the amazing people who helped us
“Newborn babies’ hearts work a little differently to ours, as so much. As parents, with what we’ve been through, we’re
there is an artery called the ductus arteriosus that naturally focusing on the fact that he is healthy and here today.”
closes soon after birth, then the descending thoracic
aorta fully takes over the function of perfusing the infant’s “Dante is just a blessing. He is a wonderful, beautiful, and
abdominal organs and legs with oxygenated blood. healthy baby. He is a busy boy and has been much more active
and smiling since having his procedure. He loves to be the
“In Dante’s case, there was a narrowing in a section of this centre of attention and enjoys kisses. He’s six months old and
artery in a condition known as coarctation of the aorta, has gained weight since the operation. He has a future now,”
which is more common in males. The condition accounts for Jennifer says.
approximately five percent of all congenital heart defects
with a reported prevalence of about 4 per 10,000 live births,” “The staff at the hospital, the nurses, and the doctors were
Dr Schürmann explains. professional and compassionate and went out of their way
to assist us. It was an emotional time for our family, and
Netcare’s general manager of emergency, trauma, transplant it meant so much to us that they welcomed us with open
and CSI Mande Toubkin, a Director of Netcare’s corporate arms.”
social investment arm, the Netcare Foundation, says there
is an overwhelming need for time-sensitive paediatric “It is reported that one in every 100 children is born with a
heart operations, which require highly specialised skills and significant heart defect. Working together with specialists
healthcare resources. and non-profit organisations like the Maboneng Foundation,
which coordinates funding for surgeries, we are honoured
“Given the extreme urgency of Dante’s heart lesion that the Netcare Foundation and our partners at the
and following a successful application to the Netcare Maboneng Foundation were able to assist Dante with our
Foundation, Dante was booked for surgery on 4 April, three projects for this year,” Toubkin concludes.
months earlier than originally scheduled.”
For more information about the Maboneng Foundation, which
Jennifer remembers the day the family received the good coordinates sponsorship of the procedures, or to make a
news: “When we got the call from the doctor, my husband donation, please visit www.mabonengfoundation.co.za

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