‘Grateful’ matric pupil gives birth while on school outing after complaints of pain

JOHANNESBURG: A school trip to the Sterkfontein Caves turned traumatic for matric pupil Lydia Makgale when she unexpectedly went into labour.

The 21-year-old from Lephalale in Limpopo was touring the caves with classmates at the Maropeng World Heritage site near Krugersdorp when she felt a sharp pain in her abdomen on Friday afternoon.

Embarrassed and shocked, the Grade 12 pupil said she was confused about what was happening. She knew she was pregnant and that the baby was only due in August.

“I was okay after our arrival on Thursday morning. I didn’t have any pains, but felt extremely tired from the walk- ing and taking the stairs,” she told the Cape Times’s sister paper The Star yesterday.

“When the pain started, I knew that something wasn’t right. I pretended that I was okay to my schoolmates and waited for them to walk past me. I then called my teacher, who was walking behind me, to explain my situation,” she said softly.

Makgale said her teacher called an ambulance and a tour guide. But her baby girl was born a few minutes before the ambulance arrived – and two months before her due date.

The mother and daughter were taken to Leratong Hospital for observation. Makgale was discharged yesterday, but her baby remains in hospital as she is underweight and nurses were monitoring her.

Makgale said she was grateful to the staff at the hospital. “They’ve provided me with toiletries and made me feel safe.

“I have no relatives or friends in Joburg, but the hospital is accommodating me until the baby is discharged,” she said.

Her family will fetch her once the baby is discharged, and she will continue her matric studies when schools reopen after the holidays.

“I don’t care if people were laughing at me or making fun of me. I will be returning to school to complete my studies. All I want is to complete my matric year and further my studies next year at a university,” Makgale said, adding that she wanted to be a social worker.

I knew that something wasn’t right. I pretended that I was okay