‘His health doesn’t set him back’
SAHESH Tyrique Moodley is an energetic 6-year-old, who loves watching cartoons, and when he is not in front of the television he can be found in the garden playing cricket and soccer.
Although Sahesh lives an active lifestyle, he has had many health setbacks, one of them being having a short neck.
His mother, Duvasini, said the bones on the back of his spine had not formed for his neck to develop.
“Sahesh lives a normal life. He runs, jumps and plays like any other child his age.
“But because of his short neck, a smaller bone from the spine is now pressing towards his brain and if it pierces his brain, Sahesh will become immobile.”
Moodley said to ensure this did not happen, he needed to undergo two procedures.
“First, his neck needs to be stretched out and a device called a ‘halo’ is required. He needs to wear the halo for about four months and thereafter undergo an operation to have the smaller bone on the spine removed.”
Moodley, 36, a housewife, of NewlandsWest, said Sahesh had a history of health issues but never allowed it to stand in his way.
“When he was born, he underwent an operation. A week later he developed a hernia and another operation followed.
“Then doctors found he had a hole in his heart, which was on the right side, but it has since closed,” said a tearful Moodley, as she recalled the trauma her son endured.
She said both procedures were expensive and she and her husband, Morgan, 43, a technician, were trying to save money.
“We don’t want to lose our baby. We are trying our best to raise the money but it is hard.
“Sahesh is a bright child, who wants to one day become a doctor to help others like him.”
The couple also have a 9-year-old son.