Pretoria - Instead of celebrating baby Kutlwano Kganyago’s 9-month birthday today, his family is hoping for a miracle.
Everyday the residents from Ga-Rankuwa extension 25 live in fear that the latest addition to their family may not live to see another day, as the baby has been diagnosed with biliary atresia and liver cirrhosis.
Biliary atresia is a condition in infants in which the bile ducts outside and inside the liver are scarred and blocked. As a result, bile cannot flow into the intestine, and ends up building up in the liver and damaging it.
This eventually leads to liver failure.
Yesterday, baby Kutlwano, who had an engorged abdomen, was visibly uncomfortable and lethargic.
His mother Ofentse Kganyago said that just like her previous pregnancies, with her 9- and 4-year-old boys, she was never alerted to problems with Kutlwano and thought she would be welcoming another healthy baby to the family.
She said when he was born she quickly noticed his eyes and body were extremely yellow, and he was smaller than normal.
She was told by the staff at Odi Hospital that he may have jaundice, which would clear up after a few weeks exposure to ultraviolet rays and sunshine.
After a few weeks, nothing had changed, and to make matters worse, his abdomen had also started to balloon.
“Watching my baby suffer like this is so painful because it’s affecting him badly. It’s not just the enlarged abdomen, but his growth and development have been stalled so much that he doesn't even look like he is turning nine months (today).”
Kganyago said what aggravated things for the family was that she had to quit her job as baby Kutlwano needed constant attention and was regularly needing hospital visits.
As a result, she has had to try to make ends meet with the social grant from all her children, get Kutlwano the special food he needs and pay for the regular trips to their local hospital.
To make matters worse, she said the hospital had told them they would not be able to put baby Kutlwano on the waiting list for a liver transplant as he was too weak and would not survive the procedure.
Mmemeng Mokgadi, from Nanuza, said that after they were alerted to the family’s plight they joined forces with the SA National Civic Organisation to help. Mokgadi said in a bid to raise funds for baby Kutlwano, they were hosting a fund-raising walk tomorrow at R40 per ticket. All proceeds will be donated to the family for medical expenses.
Those keen on assisting can gather at the family home in extension 25 and proceed to the Ga-Rankuwa Stadium.
Pretoria News