DURBAN mum, Phiwo Hlongwane wants nothing more than to give her seven-year-old daughter Amile Cele a full and healthy life, but do so means raising enough money for Amile to undergo a liver transplant.
Amile was was diagnosed with liver cirrohosis when she was just three years old.
Phiwo said mother’s intuition made her take her toddler to see a number of general practitioners after she noticed her daughter’s loss of appetite, which resulted in a number of misdiagnosed conclusions.
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In 2013, faced with the fear that something might be terribly wrong, Phiwe made an arrangement to seen a paediatrician at Inkosi Albert Luthuli Children’s Hospital who discovered Amile’s large spleen and her extensive liver damage at cellular level which was introduced by a cyst.
“In hindsight there were other signs, but at the time she had developed a bit of a rash, so I took her to a paediatrician. Initially, there was a cyst on her liver and I think that is where the damage started,” said Phiwo.
With a maturity beyond her seven years, Amile understands her condition and is aware of the operation she’ll need in order to be healthy again. Despite the challenge life has thrown her, she remains an optimistic, cheerful little girl with a zest for life one comes to expect from a child her age.
“She understands that she is ill and has to go for regular check-ups at the hospital. When we were told she would need a transplant I explained that she would have to go to hospital “one more time” to get a new liver so she never has to make trips to the hospital ever again. She gets bogged down by her incessant itching and regularly has tummy problems. She has the appetite of a sparrow, which I’m told is to be expected but as a mother it frustrates me no end. Like most children, she’s just always happy and smiling,” said Phiwo
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Although she’s spent the last four years managing her symptoms with regular visits to specialists and has received the utmost care at home, doctors have warned about the unpredictability of her condition.
“Amile is fairly stable and being monitored at present, but doctors advise that her condition could change anytime so we should be prepared for the worst.”
Amile has been placed on the national liver transplant list as she patiently awaits her procedure. A suitable match to save Amile will share her blood type and tissue type. Donors and recipients undergo psychological and social screening and extensive tests. They also undergo comprehensive health tests and are screened for a variety of illnesses before they are considered. Amile’s parents have both begun the screening process and will have a better idea by this month if they are an exact match to save their daughter.
Being unable to afford the transplant estimated at approximately R2 million and not having access to a medical aid, Phiwo investigated donations-based crowdfunding as a potential solution to save her daughters life.
“Her dad and I both work but the cost of this surgery is insurmountable for us. This is what lead us to set up a crowdfunding campaign on BackaBuddy,” said Phiwo.
If crowdfunded, Amile will undergo her transplant surgery in Johannesburg at the Wits Donald Gordan Medical Centre or alternatively, the Red Cross Children’s Hospital in Cape Town.
Amile’s BackaBuddy campaign went live on 25 August and so far donations have poured in from family, friends, Phiwo’s work colleagues and concerned strangers.
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“Phiwo has requested all funds to be managed by BackaBuddy and paid directly to medical beneficiaries as to remain transparent with donors who have shown their kindness and support. We have seen a tremendous increase in the number of individual submissions on our site over the last few months. For the month of August alone, 111 individual campaigns went live on our platform after undergoing a strict vetting process by our support team,” said Zane Groenewald, BackaBuddy Marketing Officer.
Phiwo is appealing to the public to support her daughter’s fundraising campaign.
“Amile is a caring, polite and affectionate child. She just loves going to church and playing with her friends. Like any parent, I would like her to live a long, healthy life. I would like for her to have all the opportunities I can expose her to for success in her chosen career and life in general,” she said.
Amile’s campaign can be found on BackaBuddy using this link: https://www.backabuddy.co.za/champion/project/liver-transplant-for-amile.
Alternatively, supporters can scan the QR Code using a QR Code Scanner available on the Apple “App Store” and Android “Play Store”.
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