Cape Town - When a child is born, many parents immediately count their toes and fingers to ensure that they’re without defects. However, unseen defects are most common.
Statistics show 1% of babies were born with a heart defect, making it the most common birth defect globally. This is why the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital is appealing to the public to assist children born with heart defects through its Helping2Heal Little Hearts campaign.
The hospital is asking donors to celebrate heart month by contributing to its CathCHAT programme to assist patients such as Camlin, who was aged four when she was diagnosed with acute and chronic constrictive pericarditis, an inflammation of the two layers of the thin, sac-like membrane that surrounds the heart.
Camlin from Villiersdorp was initially diagnosed with meningitis and was referred to the Caledon Hospital for treatment. Her temperature continued to spike and she was rushed to the Tygerberg Hospital, where she was diagnosed with a heart condition.
In a panic, Camlin’s parents rushed her to the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital for immediate lifesaving surgery and her family was informed that she had a hole in her heart and a leaking valve.
This was the start of a life-long journey that Camlin’s mother thought she could not bear.
The child, now aged six, had her third heart surgery last month, which was successful.
Children’s Hospital Trust chief executive Louise Driver said cardiologists were now able to perform heart surgeries on children that were less invasive than traditional heart surgery.
“Over the last year, 300 to 400 children’s lives were saved, thanks to this leading-edge facility at the hospital. CathCHAT also enables procedures to be transmitted live online, bringing heart treatment learning technology to other African countries,” added Driver.
See https://www.childrenshospitaltrust.org.za/donate/
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