LITTLE Isabella Pretorius came into the world four months early on 15 July, weighing only 700 grams and measuring a mere 20cm in length.
Against all odds she has overcome the worst of her battle for life and was finally sent home on Monday.
Her homecoming was met with great joy by parents Mario and Lelanie Pretorius.
‘It feels as if the missing link was found and my family is at last whole again,’ says Lelanie.
‘Isabella was only due next month on 20 November, and yet she can already see, sleep, eat and she knows very well how to cry,’ Lelanie jokes.
‘If we can just get through the end of her pre-maturity I will most certainly heave a very big sigh of relief.’
Isabella’s rough start to life has seen her fight a hole in her heart, blood on her brain and gangrene in all five fingers of her right hand.
While the affected finger tips were removed, her heart problem has mended and her brain activity is now completely normal.
But Lelanie says they will continue to take serious precautions until Isabella is officially out of the woods.
‘She is on an Angelcare monitor that keeps track of her breathing and sounds an alarm as soon as her heart beat stops,’ says Lelanie.
‘But otherwise she’s very healthy, drinking about 40ml of formula every three hours and now weighing over 1.8kg.’
The Pretorius family thanks the Lower Umfolozi Memorial Hospital staff who cared for Isabella after she was moved from Netcare The Bay Hospital three weeks ago.
‘We were worried about moving her, but she was in such good hands at the Memorial Hospital,’ says Lelanie.
‘I’m truly thankful to the warm and friendly staff who always made me feel at home.’
23 SEPTEMBER
Little Isabella makes her first big move
IN the first 10 weeks of her life, Isabella Pretorius has fought for survival with a hole in her heart, gangrene in her fingers and minor bleeding on her brain.
But despite the many hurdles she has come to face since being born four months premature at Netcare The Bay Hospital, medical experts believe she has become strong enough to leave the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit (ICU).
On Friday Isabella was transferred without any hiccup from the Richards Bay hospital to Empangeni’s Lower Umfolozi Maternity Hospital.
‘Her transfer went very well thanks to Richard Schouten and his team from Netcare 911 and we also want to thank Netcare The Bay Hospital’s staff and nurses who were incredible in looking after Isabella these last 10 weeks,’ said dad Mario Pretorius.
Isabella is currently in the public hospital’s neonatal ICU.
Life support equipment was removed last week Thursday, allowing mother Lelanie to enjoy looking at her baby’s uncovered face.
‘Seeing her beautiful little face brought me to tears,’ says Lelanie.
Mother and daughter shared another unforgettable moment two weeks ago when Lelanie was able to hold Isabella for the first time.
‘Now we’re only hoping that she will pick up weight quickly so we can take her home,’ Lelanie said.
‘She currently weighs 1.060kg and has to reach at least 1.8kg to leave the hospital.’
The Pretorius family thanks the community for all the support received and asks for Isabella to remain in their prayers as she continues her fight at her new hospital.
