Help Deané Anzel Botha live a better life
Deané Botha has been diagnosed with Craniosynostosis and suffers from Plagiocephaly.
The 17-month-old, Deané Anzel Botha, a gorgeous blue-eyed baby girl, needs help from the community to live a better life.
When one thinks of Deané, one is reminded of a sunflower spreading seeds of happiness and giggles.
She has been in and out of the hospital five times this year and recently had surgery after she has been diagnosed with Craniosynostosis and suffers from Plagiocephaly.
Craniosynostosis is a birth defect in which the bones in a baby’s skull join together too early. This happens before the baby’s brain is fully formed. As the baby’s brain grows, the skull can become more misshapen. If left untreated, it can become a serious condition. Early diagnosis and surgery are needed to make sure a child grows properly.
The Alberton Record visited the family at the mother’s workplace in Raceview to talk about Deané and how the community can assist.
Their miracle baby
Adrie Botha, the mother of Deané, said her pregnancy came as a surprise back in 2020, but she had a healthy pregnancy.
Deané is Adrie and Deon’s second child.
In April 2021 this baby girl made her arrival and she was a healthy little one.
Deané got Covid-19 when she was only eight weeks old, but she fought the virus and recovered.
“On November 17 she was admitted to hospital where she was diagnosed with Metapneumovirus and spent nine days in the hospital.”
She then went for grommets in December which went very well.
A new year
She was in good health until she fell ill again in February, March, and April of 2022. She was treated out of the hospital after being diagnosed with Bronchitis by the family’s house doctor.
“Everything went well after that, but on August 8 Deané was admitted to the hospital for Parainfluenza, Bocavirus and Adenalvirus. Her paediatrician noticed that her head displayed an unusual shape during her hospital stay. An examination by a neurologist led to the recommendation of a CT scan which she had on September 2.
“During the waiting period for Deané’s results, she suffered from a viral infection, a bacteria infection, tonsillitis and hand, foot, and mouth disease.
“Yes, I realise this is a lot to take in with so much stress, but our faith kept us going,” Adrie said.
In the wake of Deané’s CT scan results, her doctor informed the family she has Craniosynostosis.
After motivational letters from specialists to the family’s medical aid, Deané could finally have her surgery. Deané went for surgery on October 6 and stayed in the ICU for four days before she was moved to a normal ward.
The surgery went well, but she now suffers from Plagiocephaly which is a very treatable disorder. This is when a baby’s head has the look of being flattened and is formed that way after repeated pressure is placed on one area like when a child lays down. A special helmet helps correct this disorder within a few weeks.
The family’s medical aid funds are depleted and the medical aid denied paying for the special helmets Deané needs.
“My daughter urgently needs the helmet that will protect her skull and help reshape it so she can have a more rounded appearance.”
“The helmet costs R13 773.22 which is not covered by our medical aid and she needs to wear the first helmet for six weeks and then one more helmet after to help her skull and brain to grow back normal,” Deon explained.
In need of assistance
“We come to you as desperate parents in need of help for our daughter,” they said.
The family still have many unpaid bills. “As I sit here with an exhausted medical aid, I still owe doctors R28 566,21, R13 105.80 for Ampath, R4 800 for her anaesthetist and R1 634.68 for hospital bills. These are the bills we are aware of, but we are still waiting on the bills from her surgery and neurologist.
“As her brain and skull grow, each helmet she needs will be a different size. Having used up all the money we had saved, I don’t know what to do. I desperately need help.
“Please, for my daughter’s sake, she still has her whole life ahead of her,” said her father Deon.
How you can help
Donations can be made through the family’s BackaBuddy page or deposited into the bank account set up for her medical expenses.
The account number for her Absa savings account is 9374614104 and the branch code is 632005.
“It will be greatly appreciated if you can donate any amount, no matter how small, as this will get us one step closer to paying for all of our baby’s medical needs.
“Deane’s medical team deserves a special thank you for all they’ve done to help her.
“Thank you to the hospital for always welcoming us with open arms and being so friendly and helpful.”
Adrie also wants to thank her employer, Zelmari, the owner of Dudes and Divas Creche.
“Thanks for standing by me and my family through thick and thin. Thank you for being my mainstay. I don’t know how I would have gotten through it all,” said Adrie.
Despite what we think, Adrie believes that children, particularly babies, are tougher than we think.
“There is no doubt that they are warriors. As a baby, Deané is energetic, playing and just being herself despite the scars she has. She is so full of smiles.”
Her husband and son, Deon junior’s, support has also meant a lot to her, she said. “With God on our side, we are stronger together,” she concluded.
