“We had no idea Caroline had a heart condition until she lost consciousness at the end of last year. For my wife and I, it was the start of a long and painful journey when the tests showed she needed an urgent heart operation – I could never wish this on anyone else,” recalls Caroline’s father, Petrus Smit. “Caroline, who has a history of tiredness and headaches was referred to us from the public sector at the end of last year,”

comments cardiothoracic surgeon and cofounder of the Maboneng Heart and Lung Institute, Dr. Erich Schürmann who led the medical team and donated their time and expertise pro bono to assist Caroline. “The little girl from Tzaneen had been diagnosed with atrial septal defect (ASD) secundum, meaning there was a large hole in her heart between the upper two chambers, forcing more blood into the right side which was enlarging under the pressure.

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Over time, this can be severely damaging to the growing child’s health, and surgery was therefore needed as soon as possible to give her the best chance of living a healthy, active life,” he says. The specialised ASD closure procedure to repair Caroline’s heart defect was performed and Caroline recovered rapidly after her operation and was discharged from hospital a mere three days later. Petrus says, “Our little angel is already feeling better and it is really something to see the difference in her eyes and in her energy levels since the operation.

“She is running around and playing like a normal kid. My wife, Lucille, and I can never thank the foundations enough that helped as well as the doctors and nurses for all they have done for our daughter in making this surgery possible. We are very grateful for the emotional support of our family and friends, and the kind assistance from my boss, Leon Louw, and his wife, Marlie.” For more information about the Maboneng Foundation or to make a donation please visit https://www.mabonengfoundation.co.za.