Young girl receives life-saving surgery at Netcare Sunninghill thanks to a corporate social investment initiative

A four-year-old girl with a serious heart condition has received a new lease on life, thanks to the Maboneng Heart Institute at Netcare Sunninghill Hospital.

Amara Ngwenga is the latest beneficiary of the Heart-to-Heart Campaign, a corporate social investment (CSI) match-funding challenge to raise resources for life-saving operations for children suffering from life-threatening heart conditions. The heart surgery was covered by donations from Medipost Holdings and the Netcare Foundation, which is the CSI arm of the Netcare group.

“I want to be a fairy when I grow up. A fairy who uses her magic to make other children fairies, so that they can help others too,” said Amara who is recovering at home after she recently underwent surgery.

Amara’s mother, Runel Ngwenya, said, “Two years ago, Amara developed a fever and was so ill that she had to be admitted to Steve Biko Academic Hospital – the same hospital she was born in – for about two weeks. The doctors diagnosed rheumatic fever, and found that her heart was beating abnormally.”

Cardiothoracic surgeon Dr Erich Schürmann, from the Maboneng Heart and Lung Institute at Netcare Sunninghill Hospital, explained that Amara had an atrial septal defect, or a hole between the two upper chambers of her heart, which required a specialised procedure to correct.

“As parents, we have been so worried about our daughter’s health, especially because we are both unemployed and cannot afford medical aid. We couldn’t believe it when we heard that Medipost Holdings and the Netcare Foundation would cover the costs of the operation, it was like a fairy tale come true,” Runel said.

Cardiothoracic surgeons Dr Schürmann and Dr Martin Myburgh of the Maboneng Heart and Lung Institute, paediatric cardiologist Dr Janine Meares who practises at Netcare Sunninghill Hospital, as well as anaesthetist Dr Krishnee Naidoo and cardiac perfusionist Mogotsi Mophosho committed their time and expertise pro bono to provide Amara with the life-saving procedure and care she needed.

“If untreated, a hole in the septum the size Amara had, unfortunately can be debilitating, and even life-threatening, as the child grows, the heart defect ultimately damages the arteries of the lungs. Fortunately, Amara’s procedure went smoothly, and was completed in three hours,” Schürmann said.

“So far, indications are that the operation was a complete success and, while we will monitor her progress, we expect she will now be able to live a full and normal life.”

Runel said that the family is immensely relieved that Amara is going from strength to strength since having the operation. “Now, she has a real appetite! We are trying to keep her still for a few weeks while she recovers, and because she already feels better, Amara wants to play like a healthy child.”

Amara’s father, Mugisha Francis, concluded, “As a family we are very grateful to the teams from the Maboneng Heart and Lung Institute, the theatre and cardiothoracic intensive care unit at Netcare Sunninghill Hospital for the highly specialised treatment and care they provided to Amara.

“The synergy between these teams has been very reassuring for us during this anxious time. In the three hours we were waiting for Amara to come out of surgery I took comfort from something Dr Myburgh told me – that it is their life’s commitment to look after patients such as my daughter.”