Funds raised for critically ill Glen Marais mom and her premature baby girl
The mother’s kidney function is down to a staggering eight per cent.
A Glen Marais mother and her premature baby girl are in critical condition in intensive care in a Pretoria hospital.
Mom Mari Botha (28) suffers from Lupus and because of complications her baby Ruaché was delivered at only 26 weeks on May 15, weighing only 440 grams.
Mari’s kidney function is down to a staggering eight per cent and doctors are looking to do a biopsy in order to determine the exact problem.
Her husband, Johan, said there was a possibility she would need a kidney transplant. Because her kidneys aren’t functioning properly, fluid continues to build up in her lungs. Mari receives daily dialysis and plasma exchange.
“Ruaché’s condition keeps fluctuating as her sugar levels aren’t doing so well,” Johan said.
Doctors did X-rays of her lungs which also contain fluid and try to resolved the problem.Her saturated oxygen levels fluctuate leaving her in a critical condition.
“But she’s a fighter and we’re hoping and praying they both will pull through,” Johan said on Thursday.
Suffering from the auto-immune deficiency Lupus Mari experienced complications with her pregnancy due to changes in her chronic medication prescriptions. Years prior to her pregnancy, she had suffered a pulmonary embolism and was prescribed blood thinning medication.
Due to her pregnancy this medicine was changed. However, it did little from preventing complications, as blood clots formed in the umbilical cord preventing nutritional flow to baby Ruaché in the womb.
The doctors tried their best to counteract this in the hope the baby would gain more weight to break even at 500 grams. Sadly, this was not possible and doctors were forced to act in order to save the baby’s life.
Medical bills keep piling up as scans, MRIs, x-rays and general hospital costs for mother and baby are accumulating fast.
An online fund-raising campaign has been launched in the hope to raise R100 000 for the family. It currently stands at nearly R44 000.
Donations can be made by clicking here.
Lupus is a chronic auto-immune disease in which the body’s immune system becomes hyperactive and attacks normal, healthy tissue.
Symptoms include inflammation, swelling and damage to the joints, skin, kidneys, blood, heart and lungs.
This disease causes the immune system to recognise healthy blood cells and tissue as threats, resulting in an attack from one’s own immune system, causing additional medical problems.
