Cape Town – Messages of support have poured in for Inganathi Mafenuka, 22, who lost one of her quadruplets on Thursday to a short illness.
Baby Bubele, one of four siblings, fondly dubbed the Cape Quads, died just a few weeks after the quads celebrated their first birthday.
Mafenuka gave birth through a Caesarean section at Tygerberg Hospital last year to the four babies, boys Bubele and Buchele, and girls Bunono and Bungcwele
Grandmother Luleka said the 1-year-old had suffered diarrhoea on Wednesday, but it had stopped in the day.
“Everything seemed to be fine because the diarrhoea had stopped and he had an appetite. I noticed he was not well again around 4am, when I woke up to check on one of his siblings who was vomiting.
"Bubele was breathing strangely as if he was struggling. I woke up Inganathi and showed her that he didn’t seem well and looked ill. He looked weak.
“I also called my neighbour to assist us. When she arrived, she also noticed he was weak and held him. Minutes after that, she noticed he had stopped breathing and we had called an ambulance,” Luleka said.
While waiting for an ambulance, a neighbour rushed Bubele to a local clinic, where he was declared dead.
The other three babies were also taken for medical check-ups as a precaution. They were later released.
A mourning Mafenuka said: “Please keep all of us in prayer as we mourn the loss of our precious boy, and
try to take care of his surviving
brother Buchele, and two sisters Bunono and Bungcwele.”
Mafenuka said she was inundated with calls from people showing love and support, while others visited them.
Community Chest, which has been one of Mafenuka’s biggest supporters, said it was arranging counselling for the family.
“The news got Community Chest staff in tears. We are deeply saddened and devastated. Less than three weeks ago we publicly celebrated their first birthday,” said the organisation’s Desiré Goliath.