Family needs help to keep miracle baby alive

The Fourie family have faced some trying times lately as a myriad of health complications plagued their newborn son, Anrico’s arrival.

Parents Anika and Christo Fourie say that their son had difficulty breathing and it is nothing short of a miracle that he is still alive today.

“Shortly after birth, complications arose. Anrico struggled to breathe, and his tiny heart stopped. The neonatal nurses and Dr Venter, the on-call paediatrician, immediately intervened. They successfully resuscitated him and rushed him to the neonatal unit. However, his heart stopped again. By God’s grace, the medical team was able to resuscitate him once more. After the second cardiac arrest, the doctor stabilised him and informed the family that Anrico was critically ill,” Anika said.

Anika started experiencing irregular contractions on the evening of Thursday, March 27. By Friday morning, her contractions had become regular.

Her mother-in-law rushed her to Femina Hospital in Arcadia around 08:00, as her contractions were already six minutes apart. Christo met them at the hospital after work.

Initially, the nurses sent Anika home on the doctor’s recommendation, believing she was still in early labour and that it could take up to 48 hours.

However, due to the distance between their home and the hospital, they decided to stay to avoid any risk and by 16:34, Anika was fully dilated, and labour began. At 16:44, Anrico was born.

Anrico was diagnosed with a congenital diaphragmatic hernia. A hole in his diaphragm allowed his stomach, spleen, and intestines to move into his chest cavity, preventing proper lung development.

As a result, one lung was only 50% developed.

“Friday night was incredibly challenging for his tiny body, but by 09:00 on Saturday, an ambulance arrived to transfer him to Unitas Hospital in Centurion, which was better equipped to handle his condition. The transfer was extremely delicate, and despite the medical team’s careful handling, Anrico arrived at Unitas in critical condition. The new paediatrician immediately worked to stabilise him. By Saturday evening, he was stable enough for surgery, which was scheduled for Sunday morning at 08:30, provided he remained stable overnight,” Anika said.

On Sunday, Anrico underwent surgery to reposition his organs correctly and the procedure was a success.

“Although the surgery was successful, the doctors encountered several complications. They had to remove a small section of his intestine due to an additional defect. His abdomen remains under significant strain because his organs developed in his chest rather than in his abdominal cavity. One lung is fully developed, while the other is only at 50%, but the doctor confirmed that he will eventually be able to breathe on his own after recovery. Anrico’s vital signs have improved since the surgery, which is nothing short of miraculous. However, his infection levels have risen, and the next three days are critical,” Anika said.

On Wednesday (April 2), the hospital informed the parents that they planned to transfer Anrico to a government hospital because his medical insurance would only cover him after three months.

His hospital bill has already reached R210 000, and the daily cost of keeping him on life-supporting machines is R20 000.

His father is considering selling their vehicle to cover the hospital expenses and the family asks residents to donate to keep their son alive.

Residents interested in helping can contact Anika at anikanel62@gmail.com or on 0714742589 or visit their back-a-buddy page at https://www.backabuddy.co.za/campaign/anrico-hospital-funds

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