Cystic hygroma patient’s mum seeks surgery funding
MBABANE – The mother of a four-year-old boy, who was diagnosed with cystic hygroma at birth, is seeking public assistance in raising funding for her son’s surgery.
Cystic hygroma is a fluid-filled bump that forms on a baby’s neck, caused by a blockage in the lymphatic system pathways.
Nkosingiphile Mamba from Ndzingeni said her son, Thandolubanzi Maziya, was diagnosed with the ailment three days after his birth at Pigg’s Peak Government Hospital.
She narrated that, having monitored the child’s sickness for a week, they were transferred to Mbabane Government Hospital, where they spent two weeks and later discharged. She then revealed that the bump persisted and continued to swell, prompting her to go back to Pigg’s Peak Hospital, where they were again transferred to Mbabane.
“We spent at least three months while my son was admitted to Mbabane Government Hospital. It was then that the doctors wrote us a referral letter to Phalala Fund, which aided in taking my son to South Africa (SA) for a surgery,” she said.
Mamba said they spent six months at Tshepo-Themba Private Hospital based in Dobsonville,
Soweto, where her son was operated on. However, the doctor gave her a two weeks break to come to Eswatini and spend time with relatives before her son could undergo a second surgery.
“We came back home while COVID-19 was at its infancy stage but we couldn’t go back to South Africa, because of travelling restrictions at the time and my son eventually missed the deadline for the surgery,” she narrated. Mamba further explained that while she was in SA, her son was put on a gastrostomy tube, due to difficulty in eating.
A gastrostomy tube (also called a G-tube) is a tube inserted through the belly that brings nutrition directly to the stomach.
A tracheostomy tube, which is inserted through the hole and secured in place with a strap around one’s neck for breathing, was inserted as narrated by Mamba. She revealed that while the gastrostomy opening had eventually healed after a surgery was conducted to close it, the one for the tracheostomy was yet to fully heal.
“I went back to the doctors who wrote us a referral letter to Phalala Fund after COVID-19, but they told me that the exercise could only be done once, hence they could not write me another letter. I was hurt because I have no funding to take the child to SA for the surgery and I was relying on the Phalala funding,” she said.
Mamba pleaded with members of the public to assist her raise the funding for her child to take her to the neighbouring country for the surgery.
“I am unemployed and recently I missed a doctor’s appointment at Mbabane Government Hospital, because I had no money for transport, since I stay at northern Hhohho, far from Mbabane. I am pleading with emaSwati to assist me in taking my son to SA for the surgery,” she said.
When asked how much was required for the surgery, she said they did not specify.
Anyone willing to assist Mamba can contact her at 7815 4486 or 7917 8496.