Page 30 - Waterfall City Issue 7 July 2024

Waterfall City Health

A STORY

OF TRIUMPH

over life-threatening burn injuries

R escued from a devastating developed sepsis and multi-organ

house fire, more than
failure, which are unfortunately fairly
half of Resego Lekgema’s
common with severe burns. Several
tiny body was severely
burnt, leaving her fighting for her times, we feared for her life, but
somehow, she pulled through,”
life for months in the specialised says Dr Monyake.
paediatric intensive care unit (PICU)
at Netcare Waterfall City Hospital. After five long months in the hospital
with her parents and devoted
Now, after some six months in grandmother by her side, Netcare
the hospital, six-year-old Resego Waterfall City Hospital staff threw a
is continuing her recovery after party for Resego to celebrate that
being discharged to the Netcare she was finally well enough to be
Rehabilitation Hospital and making discharged for the next stage of her
progress that a few months earlier recovery.
seemed impossible.
“In late February, when she was
“When Resego was admitted to the breathing well and could eat, Resego
PICU at Netcare Waterfall City Hospital was transferred to us at Netcare
in October last year, she had burns Rehabilitation Hospital,” says Professor
covering almost 60% of her total Andre Mochan, a neurologist who
body surface area and 10% inhalation practises at the medical rehabilitation
burns inside her lungs,” says paediatric facility. After six months in hospital, little Resego Lekgema
has made a remarkable recovery from burn injuries.
intensivist Dr Palesa Monyake.
“After being so ill, Resego’s lungs,
The little girl was placed on an oscillator heart, liver, and other organs were was scared, anxious and irritated after
machine to support her breathing, and affected, and from being confined to the trauma of her experience and
a multidisciplinary team of medical a bed for so long, we needed to help months in intensive care. At first, she
practitioners, including Dr Monyake, a her rebuild her muscles and regain her was withdrawn and shy, not wanting to
paediatric pulmonologist, paediatric functioning. talk to anyone, and it wasn’t easy to win
surgeon Dr Vered Lack, and the caring her trust so we could start some of her
nursing staff, set about the long and “The burn scars on her face, limbs therapies.
painstaking process of treating her and trunk also needed to be carefully
burns and fighting the ever-present managed. As scars heal, they “Soon, our perseverance was rewarded,
threat of infection. contract, making movement difficult and she has become a happy little
and potentially disfiguring if not chatterbox. She’s been an absolute
“Resego has had a very difficult appropriately addressed,” he says. angel and the most cheerful child in
road, but from the start, she showed the ward,” says Prof Mochan.
incredible tenacity. Her body’s “Although pain was not a significant
immune system was in shock, and she feature anymore by this point, Resego Jessica Erasmus, an occupational

28 Waterfall City Issue 7 2024