Durban - A sad story of a single homeless mother has brought hope of a happy ending at Durban’s Denis Hurley Centre.
A baby boy was brought to the clinic at the centre on Tuesday last week in need of urgent medical attention. The tiny child was so under-nourished that he hardly wanted to eat. Staff at the clinic estimated his age at 6 or 7 months, because of his size and behaviour, and set to work to stabilise him.
Baby Thando (which means love) was discovered the night before in the pouring rain, next to the dead body of his 22-year-old mother. The baby and his mother had been living on an island in the middle of the N3 motorway.
The team investigated and found a “neighbour” on the island who confirmed his mother’s name and that she had given birth at King Edward VIII Hospital. From there, Thando’s family in Hammarsdale was traced and his real name confirmed.
It was also found that he was in fact almost one year old but, because of his severe malnutrition, he had seemed much younger.
Denis Hurley clinic co-ordinator Ruth Birtwhistle said when Thando arrived, “we completely misjudged his age. He didn’t make any noises. He didn’t move. In the two weeks he’s spent with us, his progress has been fantastic.”
She said initially he had very bad kwashiorkor and edema ‒ water retention ‒ but with time and a proper diet that would resolve itself.
“The improvement in the past two weeks shows us he’s a fighter. Initially we were concerned he was going to be mentally disadvantaged but his lack of development was more a failure to try rather than due to any mental challenges. He’s too adorable and just the cutest thing you’ve ever seen,” she said.
Birtwhistle said his mother was a substance abuser and he was delivered as an unbooked pregnancy.
“Social workers at the hospital reunited her with her older sister and she tried to help, but his mother ran away and went back to the streets. She wanted to keep him with her, but was unable to fight her addiction. She probably didn’t seek the help needed because she was terrified that he would be taken away from her.
“Sadly she was living within walking distance of the clinic ‒ on the island near the elephant sculptures at the start of the N3. We could have helped her.”
The centre assisted with the burial of Thando’s mother, a funeral he attended, but while the family are not currently in a position to take him in, little Thando will stay at the Philakade Care Home, run by Mary-Ann Carpenter.
Until now he has been cared for by Maighlin Koelesar, a US doctor volunteering at the centre, and her fiancé, Sharks player Hyron Andrews.
“He’s already calling Hyron dada,” says Birtwhistle. “He’s walking and talking and now can stand on his own two feet. When he came back from the funeral, he recognised Maighlin instantly. He’s already learning how to handle a rugby ball,” she said.
And this week on March 29, Thando celebrated his first birthday.
The Independent on Saturday