Mom, Anika Morton, quickly went to town with her mother to do some shopping before the start of the Covid-19 lockdown. Her daughter, four-year-old Zanika, stayed at home with her father, Bertie.
Her dad had just turned around to look out of the window when the freak accident happened. The lively little girl moved forward, tripped over her toy bag and fell with her head against the side of the bed. As she looked up, her left eye was full of blood.
The incident started a new chapter in the family’s lives. Zanika was rushed to Dr Julian Jacobson, who immediately referred her to an eye specialist in Vereeniging, who operated on her that evening. Two weeks later, her eye started bleeding again and she had to go in for a second operation.
On 8 May, little Zanika was in so much pain that she had to go to a specialist again – this time in Potchefstroom.
“When he saw Zanika’s eye, he said she had to be operated on immediately,” says her mother.
This surgery ended up taking two and a half hours, as the doctors struggled to stop the bleeding at the back of Zanika’s eye.
The family only has praise for the specialist, Dr Roelof van Wyk. He confirmed that Zanika has permanently lost her vision in the eye. Her family’s quest is now to save her eye itself.
Doctors explained that one’s eyeballs are the only organs that stay the same size from birth and that your facial features develop around them. Zanika’s damaged eyeball is shrinking because it is not getting enough oxygen as a result of the injury. Consequently, her whole face will start growing unevenly. Her eyelid is already sagging as a result.
Her growing up with normal features now depends on a fourth operation that Van Wyk says must be done before the end of the month.
During this “dermis far transplant”, doctors will remove a piece of fat from little Zanika’s stomach or buttock and transplant it into her eye.
Although the family does not have medical aid, they have paid for many of Zanika’s medical costs from their savings.
The outstanding medical costs, which will include the crucial operation, are expected to be R70 000. A special bank account has been set up in Zanika’s name to cover her medical costs.
Anyone who wishes to contribute can make payments into the account named *Zanika Morton*, Capitec Bank, Ac Num: 1713127251, Branch Code: 470010. The spirit and energy with which Zanika have taken on her injury has touched many hearts. It has even inspired the well-known Afrikaans singer, Riana Nel, to write a song for her. Many people are praying for her while four friends of the family are selling jewellery sets, holding painting events and selling cakes and lots more to raise funds.

https://carletonvilleherald.com/33655/little-girls-brave-fight-continues/