Father’s Day came early this year for a young father whose 4-year-old son received a life-saving heart surgery to repair a fault in his little heart.
A 25-year-old father Sihle Mangaliso received his Father’s Day present early as his 4-year-old son, Namzo, received a life-saving heart surgery.
The child from Queenstown, Eastern Cape, developed a heart condition last year after he continuously experienced chest problems. As Namzo was only 3 years old at the time, he was placed on a waiting list for a year as the little boy was too young to undergo the operation.
The boy was, however, recently admitted to the Busamed Paardevlei Private Hospital in Cape Town, Western Cape, to repair a fault in his little heart.
“I am happy. I have never received any present ever, and my boy’s heart surgery is the best gift ever,” said Mangaliso as the country celebrated Father’s Day yesterday.
According to the Statistics South Africa (StatsSA) 2019 General Household Survey (GHS) released last year, 41.7% of children in the country live with their mother only, whereas 4% live with only their fathers. The survey further revealed that in South Africa, one-fifth of children aged 17 years and under do not live with their parents at 21.3%, and 32.7% lived with both parents.
StatsSA’s Children’s Education and Well-being in South Africa report, conducted in 2018 and released last year, also revealed that only 31.7% of black children stayed with their biological fathers, compared with 51.3% of coloured children, 86.1% of Indian/Asian children and 80.2% of white children. Across all four race groups, between 74% and 92.6% of children stayed with their mothers.
“I knew that one day I would receive a present for being a father, but I never thought the present would be a gift of life,” the ecstatic father said.
The 4-year-old’s life-saving procedure was made possible by non-profit organisation the Pelo Foundation, that raises funds and creates awareness about the conditions of children living with the serious need of heart treatment and surgeries.
Mangaliso said his boy was recovering well at home and will be back at his crèche to join his friends soon. “Oh yes, the hospital personnel also bought me a beautiful phone,” the happy father added.
Pelo Foundation said it partnered with Busamed Private Hospital Group and Wings and Wishes, which transports the children and an accompanying guardian to the hospital and back home. According to the foundation, South Africa has hundreds of children who are on the heart surgery waiting list.
“It is estimated that 1 out of every 1 000 babies is born with Congenital Heart Disease and that every six hours a new-born is added to the waiting list. Currently, the Eastern Cape Province alone has more than 200 children who are on the waiting list for heart surgery,” the foundation said.
Since its inception in June 2021, Pelo Foundation and its partners have already made it possible for nine children to get much-needed heart surgeries and there are still more on the waiting list.
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