‘My child now fears a hospital’
The mother claimed that since her son had been in hospital, he's no longer the same.
A mother has spoken out about how her 10-year-old son was allegedly ill-treated and neglected at Leratong Hospital in Krugersdorp.
The 29-year-old Tarryn Feeris told the Herald in an exclusive interview that her son had suffered what she described as a ‘nightmare ordeal’ at the hospital. Her once jolly son now often has bad dreams, is traumatised and fears not only a hospital, but doctors and nurses.
Feeris explained her son was admitted on August 24 after he was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome. The Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER) describes it as “… a rare disorder in which your body’s immune system attacks your nerves. Weakness and tingling in your extremities are usually the first symptoms. These sensations can quickly spread, eventually paralyzing your whole body. In its most severe form Guillain-Barre syndrome is a medical emergency. Most people with the condition must be hospitalised to receive treatment.”
Following the diagnosis, her son was admitted to hospital. She said as visitors were not allowed due to Covid-19 restrictions, she asked that her son used his cellphone to stay in touch with her.
“They initially refused but eventually allowed it after his psychologist recommended it would help,” Feeris claimed.
Although the day-shift nurses were aware that her son was granted his wish to use his phone, it was a different story when one of the night-shift nurses saw the phone and allegedly grabbed it from him. She also took his charger and adaptor.
“He cried and begged for the phone until they gave it back to him. He also called and told me what had happened.
“When I phoned the ward and a sister told me ‘your child is not supposed to have his phone in the ward, what makes him so special?’.”
Thinking the matter was resolved, she said it was only the beginning of her child’s ordeal … She claimed further that the same sister who was in charge of the ward started to neglect her child and the ill-treatment began.
“Knowing that my child couldn’t walk, she came in with porridge but she put it far away from him and told him he must come get the food himself, although she gave the other children’s food in their hands,” Feeris claimed. Her son again phoned to tell her what had happened. She went as far as saying the nurse would give him ugly looks, not bath him, and even deny him blankets. “I don’t know why they would treat children so poorly knowing that they couldn’t see their parents. Aren’t they supposed to take care of the ill? This is why children fear hospitals.” She said after raising the issue with the hospital management she was told that the sister would call her and apologise. “I feel hurt because the damage has been done. My son is now getting nightmares because of this experience. What they’ve done to him was done on purpose. It was pure negligence and ill-treatment; if they don’t want to take care of children they should look for other jobs,” Feeris said.
The Herald was referred to the spokesperson of the MEC for Health, Kwara Kekana, who was on leave at the time, but who acknowledged the publication’s query and confirmed they would get in touch with the hospital. The response, once it has been received, will be featured in a follow-up article.
