A little help for a little life… South Africans open their hearts and wallets to save a 16-day old baby.
Johannesburg, South Africa (14 May 2020) – At just 16-days old, little Renesmè has not had the easiest start to her life, but that has not stopped her from fighting, or inspiring others to help her to try to win this battle.
MUST-READ: Remembering Renesmé – a little fighter who captured all our hearts.
Little Renesmè was diagnosed with Pulmonary Atresia with Hypoplastic Pulmonary Arteries with no main pulmonary artery. Dentrical PDA and balanced ventricles with a ventricular-sepal defect.
She needs surgery urgently to save her life. Currently, little Renesmé is in a General Public Hospital in Johannesburg. The family have just been informed that they will not be able to operate as her life expectancy is almost null according to the public hospital and she will have to be moved to a private hospital.
Dianné Becker, founder of “A little help 4 a little Heart”, heard about Renesmé’s story and met the little princess a few days ago… she immediately took to the ground to help raise the much-needed funds.
“I immediately got in touch with The Maboneng Heart & Lung Institute at Sunninghill Hospital and the resident Cardiologist and Cardio-thoracic surgeon who work there. They have 100% hope that they can save her life.
They also offered that they (2 x Cardio-Thoracic Surgeons and the Anethesist will conduct the entire surgery FREE OF CHARGE) at Netcare Sunninghill Hospital. We only have to pay for the Hospital stay, Theatre time and Radiology and Pathology and ICU.”
That is when the fundraising went into overdrive!
So far, strangers have helped raise over R200 000 in just a few days, but a total of R500 000 is needed to get this baby into surgery at the Netcare Sunninghill Hospital.
Sam Cowen got in touch with Good Things Guy to garner more support for this little fighter and hopefully get her the operation she desperately needs.
“The medical aid has declined this. I’m sure they have their reasons, but there may still be time to help her. Anyone out there with ideas? We are looking at hours now.
So this little one is on borrowed time. Her medical aid is Bonitas, so if there’s anyone out there from Bonitas who can maybe get this escalated, we would be so so grateful. She literally has hours to live if she isn’t given her medication. I know it’s hectic for medical aids who are also dealing with COVID, but please please don’t let little Renesme (yes, like the Twilight books) slip through the cracks.
Anyone out there who can help this little one? She is very desperate, and time is of the essence.”
**Update: This morning this little angel was taken off the machines keeping her alive and handed to her mother to spend the last few hours with her. The public system could not help any longer. This would have been her last few hours on earth, just 16 days old.
We wrote a story about how the community had raised money to get her to a private hospital, to have the heart operation that might give her a chance in life… using the Good Things guy platform to try to raise the last much-needed funds to get her there.
Somehow our prayers were answered and Bonitas turned around on their decision and agreed to cover all medical expenses for this little miracle. After two days of saying no to this family, they called them just now to let them know that they are going to cover everything!!!
Renesmè is busy being moved to Sunninghill Hospital right now and will get the surgery she desperately needs tonight. The doctors on call are still doing the entire operation for free as well (the money needed was for the after-surgery-care and treatment).
Thank you to all our readers for getting involved and sharing this story.
Tonight because of you, a little South African life has been saved.
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