Aliza to attend uMhlanga school is a dream come true for her mom

“I COULD not believe what I was hearing. My daughter will be attending school next year,” said Ncebekazi Dotwana, after hearing the news that an anonymous donor has decided to sponsor her three-year-old daughter’s school fees next year.

Aliza Dotwana was born with congenital glaucoma and is blind and deaf.

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This condition is caused by improper development of the cells and tissue in the eye’s drainage system before birth. This leads to a backup of fluid inside the eye that increases intraocular pressure and damages the optic nerve.

Next year, she will attend Khanyisa Developmental Centre in uMhlanga.

Speaking to Northglen News, Ncebekazi said she moved to KwaZulu-Natal from the Bizana in the Eastern Cape in 2019 as she felt her daughter was not getting adequate medical attention back home.

“I felt Aliza wasn’t getting the treatment she needed at hospitals back home. I was afraid of moving and starting over in a new place, but I always remained positive that things will work out for us. It’s been tough. I am so excited that my child will be going to school next year. I am grateful to everyone who made this possible,” she said.

It all came together after Caitlyn Waters, an occupational therapist, began treating Aliza at King Dinuzulu Hospital in 2019. She reached out to friends and contacts on Facebook and asked if anyone would sponsor Aliza’s school fees for 2022.

The person who agreed wished to remain anonymous.

Waters, who hails from La Lucia, said she watched Ncebekazi with Aliza and saw her commitment and dedication, and how she would do anything to improve her daughter’s quality of life. It was Waters who discovered that Aliza could not hear, in addition to being blind.

“While there are government institutes that cater for children with special needs, there aren’t government institutions that cater for Aliza’s needs. She is both deaf and blind and isn’t potty trained yet, but we are working on that,” she said.

“Ncebekazi is such an incredible mum and the lengths that she will go to for her daughter is moving. She is so involved and interested. We give her programmes to continue with at home and she comes back and shows us videos. We can see the improvements with Aliza,” said Waters.

She said children who are visually and hearing impaired are tactile defensive, and when Aliza arrived for occupational therapy, she would not want to touch anything.

“Touch is very important to a blind person, but we got her used to touching different textures. She also could not crawl or walk, but now she is able to walk. Aliza has come such a long way and I am so thrilled that she will be going to a school that can cater for her needs,” said Waters.