Large hole in Erasmia baby’s heart mended
“It was not clear at first how badly his tiny heart was affected, but it soon became evident that the hole was so large that it would likely become debilitating, potentially even life-threatening, if not corrected soon.”
An eight-month-old baby from Erasmia is back home with his mother and recovering well after undergoing a life-saving operation to fix a large hole in his heart.
The baby boy, Muhammad Noor Ismail, was suffering from a heart defect, according to his doctors.
The news subsequently led to the boy being referred to various hospitals, such as Kalafong and Steve Biko academic, in search of “life-saving” donations.
With no time to lose, healthcare companies and top medical specialists teamed up to ensure Ismail could receive the urgent surgery he needed at the cardiothoracic centre at Netcare Sunninghill hospital.
Muhammad Noor’s mother, Sana Maher said she first noticed the then two-week-old “was a bit congested and wasn’t feeling well”.
“At first we tried some of the recommended home remedies before taking him to the doctor. When he didn’t improve, we were very worried that there could be something wrong with our baby’s heart.”
Maher said the family prayed for a solution to help get an operation for the baby, however “we aren’t on medical aid and at times it felt like there was little hope”.
She said it was paediatric cardiologist Professor Lindy Mitchell at Steve Biko hospital who assisted with an application for surgery at Netcare Sunninghill hospital.
“We couldn’t believe it, Muhammad Noor would have his operation much sooner than expected as a beneficiary of the Heart-to-Heart campaign,” Maher said.
Heart-to-Heart is a corporate social investment campaign, that meets the funding shortfalls at the Netcare Foundation and Medipost Holdings. It offers operations to disadvantaged children with life-threatening heart conditions.
Maher said the match donation initiative provided the necessary funding for Muhammad Noor to have his operation, however, an unforeseen delay stressed the family, when they tested positive for Covid-19, a day before the baby’s first scheduled surgery.
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“We had no symptoms at any stage fortunately, but it meant Ismail’s operation had to be postponed as a precaution.
“We had to be patient for just a few weeks longer, and thankfully towards the end of August his procedure could go ahead.”
Maher said she was thankful for the doctors and nurses both at Steve Biko and Netcare Sunninghill hospitals.
“It was very reassuring to know he was in such good hands at the hospital. A huge thank you to everyone involved in making this possible for my son and for your kindness.”
Cardiothoracic surgeon and co-founder of the Maboneng Heart Institute Dr Erich Schürmann said Muhammad Noor was diagnosed with ventricular septal defect, as a large hole was found in the wall between the two lower chambers of his heart.
“It was not clear at first how badly his tiny heart was affected, but it soon became evident that the large hole was so large that it would likely become debilitating, potentially even life-threatening, if not corrected soon,” said Schürmann.
He said the condition was life-threatening as when a child grew, this type of heart defect damaged the arteries of the lungs, whereby a specialised procedure was required to correct it.
“Sadly, there is a considerable waiting list for such resource-intensive procedures, and when we heard about Muhammad Noor’s condition, we were determined to find a way to assist,” he said.
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