Vaal family left questioning 11-year-old’s real cause of death

An 11-year-old girl died in the Sebokeng Hospital on January 11, two weeks after she contracted an alleged ear infection, reports Vaal Weekblad.

Her condition deteriorated rapidly after she was admitted.

Johannet Badenhorst, a Laerskool Vaalrivier pupil, reportedly contracted ear infections regularly.

On January 11, however, her pain was unbearable, and she was rushed to hospital.

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New information came to light that she could have died due to meningitis. Her death certificate states she died of natural causes. No autopsy was performed on her corpse, and her family and friends have more questions than answers.

The family was told that meningitis was highly contagious and that if she died as a result of contracting the disease, an autopsy could not be performed.

The question as to how she really died remains a mystery, as she was admitted for an ear infection and not meningitis, and allegedly received treatment for her infection.

According to her family, she was too weak to walk when Johannet visited the hospital for the first time.

Information received from Vaal Weekblad states the nurse on duty booked Johannet in because of her frail condition. The doctor that examined her prescribed 1,500mg of anti-biotics that she was to take on a daily basis, and said she could be discharged.

Once Johannet was home, her pain intensified, and by the following Tuesday, her condition worsened to the point where she had to be admitted to the Sebokeng Hospital again.

Johannet went into a coma and had to use a ventilator. She was meant to be transferred to Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital. But when doctors removed the ventilator, it was clear she could not breathe on her own, and her machines were turned off.

The hospital declared the reason for her death to be of natural causes. The family have opened a case with the police. Her corpse was scheduled for an autopsy, but it never took place.

After the Vanderbijlpark community support forum (CSF) appealed for donations to help the family with expenses and funeral costs, they declared last Monday that they received enough donations to pay for Johannet’s funeral.

Schoolchildren helped raise funds for Johannet’s funeral.

The CFS’s Leana Gough-Killick thanked everyone for donating to the family.

Laerskool Vaalrivier pupils held a fundraiser to help contribute towards funeral costs.

Johannet was buried on Friday. She leaves behind her mother Annemarie, step-father Nico Pretorius, two brothers, and a sister.

This article was translated from Afrikaans by Nica Schreuder.

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