A mother from Mandini in KwaZulu-Natal is overjoyed to be able to take her baby son home from a North Coast hospital, having feared for her little boy’s life when he was born prematurely late in September last year.
Mom Thabisile Zama Zungu and dad Buhle Mavuso were a picture of happiness as doctors and staff at Netcare Alberlito Hospital gathered to bid farewell to the family, including baby Nkosinathi Mavuso, last Friday.
Nkosinathi was born three months prematurely, weighing just 920 grams. When he was finally discharged from hospital late last week, he weighed a healthy 2,91 kilograms, according to paediatrician, Dr Strini Chetty, who practises at Netcare Alberlito Hospital and treated Nkosinathi.
“As Nkosinathi was born so prematurely and doctors were initially so concerned for his survival, the first few weeks of his life were very stressful for us as a family,” related Thabisile.
“Nkosinathi had to spend a total of three months in hospital, including over the festive season. We are so happy and grateful to finally take our precious boy home for the first very first time,” she added.
Thabisile said she visited her gynaecologist for a routine six-month consultation on 26 September 2017 and did not expect any problems. An ultrasound investigation however revealed that her baby had moved into a position that indicated that the birth was imminent and she was advised to seek urgent medical attention at a local hospital.
“I was in a state of shock and disbelief to hear that I was going to have to deliver my baby so prematurely; I think it was the saddest moment of my life. Nkosinathi was delivered at 20:05, just hours after we had first received the news,” relates Thabisile.
Thabisile says that doctors at the hospital were concerned that her baby had been born too prematurely to survive, and tried to prepare her for the worst.
Nkosinathi, however, proved to be a survivor and two weeks after his birth he was transferred to the Netcare Alberlito Hospital neonatal intensive care unit under the care of the highly experienced Dr Chetty. He visited Thabisile twice before arranging the little boy’s ambulance transfer to Netcare Alberlito Hospital neonatal intensive care unit on 9 October 2017.
“We are most grateful to Dr Chetty and the nursing staff at the neonatal intensive care unit for the passion and care they showed to my son and I, as well as for their ongoing support. I would also like to thank the management team at the hospital for providing me with accommodation at no charge to use as and when I needed to be close to Nkosinathi,” added Thabisile.
According to the hospital’s general manager, Dr Augusta Dorning, the doctors and staff at the facility became very fond of Thabisile and his family while the little boy was cared for at the hospital.
“Thabisile must be one of the smallest babies we have cared for,” observes Dr Dorning. “It was wonderful to see him steadily gather strength, to become the happy bouncing baby he is today, and to reach a point where he was strong enough to be discharged home.
“We are most gratified that we could be of service to this wonderful family and wish them all the very best for the future,” she concludes.
​Issued by: Martina Nicholson Associates (MNA) on behalf of Netcare Alberlito Hospital
Contact: Martina Nicholson, Graeme Swinney, Meggan Saville, and Pieter Rossouw
Telephone: (011) 469 3016
Email: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], or [email protected]