When other toddlers woke up to go to crèche last Tuesday morning, 2–year–old Katlego Mohapeloa of Ext. 7 Baipei took his last breath in his mother’s arms.
The inconsolable 32-year–old mother and domestic worker, Susan Mohapeloa, came back from work at 15:00 on Monday to find Katlego lying in a heap on the kitchen floor, crying his eyes out. He could not tell her what was wrong.
She went to the bedroom and called him to join her. The next minute, she heard a loud bang in the kitchen, followed by him screaming.
“When I got to the kitchen, I saw the cupboard had fallen on top of him,” she said. According to her, his 7-year–old brother had been running around in the kitchen and had accidently knocked into the cupboard that she is still paying off.
“I grabbed him and tried to comfort him. I then took him to the shop at about 15:20 to get a painkiller for him. When we got back, I put him to bed.”
Katlego fell asleep and woke up at 17:00. When he went back to sleep just after 18:00, Susan expected him to sleep through till the sun came up. At around 02:00, however, his crying woke her up.
“It seemed like he was having epileptic seizures,” she says. “I rushed to the neighbour for help but she reassured me and said he had probably just had a bad dream. She told me to cook runny porridge for him.
“He fell asleep again at 04:00 and I promised myself that I would borrow money from a family friend to take him to the doctor in the morning.”
Tragically, that time never came. When she tried to wake him up at around 06:00 in the morning, he gave his last breath in her arms.
“My baby boy was silent and not breathing at all,” she sobbed.
The mother phoned the ambulance and the paramedics declared the child dead.
The heartbroken mother of three boys says she hates the cupboard for taking away her precious son. She is still visibly shocked and unsettled.
“All I can say is, God is alive. If only I knew God’s plans, I would have stopped Him and pleaded, ‘Please wait! Don’t take my son away,” she said.
Susan describes the little Mmabana Pre-school learner as active, playful and bright.
“These crèches do assist in educating our kids,” she said.
Katlego was buried last week Thursday, 14 April. The family, which lives in the impoverished community, had a hard time burying the little one. But, with the help of Const. Kelebogile Trom, Jansen family, Ikageng OBC, Student Palace, the Herald staff, Potchefstroom Taxi Associations, Amogelang Funeral Services and Sassa, Katlego was able to be buried with dignity.
Related Articles
