BEFORE Nikiwe Chauke gave birth, she was told that her baby would be born with a defect.
So she was given the option to terminate the pregnancy. But the 22-year-old from Braamfischerville, Soweto, placed her faith in God and gave birth to her miracle baby.
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However, her daughter Muhluri (3) was born with frontal encephalocele, which is an opening in the baby's skull that causes the head to expand.
When she was told about her baby's condition, Nikiwe said she pictured her baby with a disoriented face, but she prayed for a miracle despite being given the option to terminate.
She said:
But that was not the end of Nikiwe's agony. After she gave birth, she faced the challenge of people looking at her child strangely.
“Finding friends and a daycare that accepts her has been a struggle. Strangers' stares weigh heavily on us. Finding clothes that fit her because of her large head is another challenge. I'm an overprotective mum, always ready to defend her from bullies.
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“This has affected our whole family. We've distanced ourselves from negativity, finding strength in each other and our faith,” she said.
However, Nikiwe is now sighing a breath of relief as Muhluri and six other children will get life-changing surgery at Nelson Mandela Children's Hospital starting on Thursday, 2 November, thanks to the Smile Foundation.
Muhluri had surgery in the past to remove some of the non-functioning brain parts from the area around her forehead, but her next operation will involve more comprehensive treatment.
Neurosurgeon Dr Jason Labuschagne said the operation is expected to take approximately eight hours and will remove abnormal tissue and separate the brain that is outside of the skull, put back into the skull and close off the skull.
Honoured by the work done by the foundation, acting CEO of Smile Foundation, Marc Lubner said through the many Smile Weeks they are geared to help children like Muhluri from an early age to help lessen the emotional damage they will experience later on in life.
A frontal encephalocele is a congenital disorder in which a portion of the brain tissue protrudes through a defect in the skull in the frontal (forehead) region of the head.
Frontal encephaloceles can vary in size and severity. They may involve just the brain tissue or also the surrounding membranes and cerebrospinal fluid.
The condition can lead to a range of neurological and physical symptoms, depending on the extent of the brain tissue involved and the pressure it exerts on surrounding structures.
Common symptoms can include developmental delays, intellectual disabilities, seizures and tissues with motor function.
Treatment typically involves surgery to correct the skull defect and reposition the herniated brain tissue.
Source: ChatGPT
