Mediclinic Highveld celebrates World Prematurity Day

Mediclinic Highveld celebrated World Prematurity Day on Thursday, November 18 by treating the mothers of small babies to breakfast at their restaurant in Trichardt.

Organiser of the event and patient experience manager, Ms Sphiwe Mahlalela, said the aim of the event was to celebrate all the miracle babies at Mediclinic Highveld.

Two mothers of babies who were born pre-maturely and are now six years old, spoke about their journeys.

Ms Ronelle Miller said her daughter, Olivia (6), was in hospital for three weeks after she was born.

Apart from being born too early, she also had numerous other health conditions, including epilepsy, problems with her heart and heart valves and problems with her brain.

She had to undergo her first operation as a tiny baby.

Ms Miller said Olivia now has damage on a nerve behind her eye, but she is doing well and attending school like any other child of her age.

This young mother encouraged the other women whose newborn babies are still in hospital.

“I know this is challenging and you feel tired and as the mother of a pre-mature child, you feel guilty for wanting what other mothers have, such as photo shoots of their babies.

“Do not lose hope and remember that you are special and you were chosen to be that pre-mature baby’s mother.”

Ms Miller spoke about how she took Olivia home after three weeks and her little baby was still connected to an oxygen machine.

She remembers how the hospital staff always encouraged her and gave her hope for the future.

“In six years’ time you will have a busy, special little boy or girl,” she said to encourage the other mothers.

Ms Ophelia Scheepers, mother of Amy, who is now seven years old, also gave her testimony and offered a word of encouragement.

“We battled to fall pregnant and after I had a miscarriage, I finally fell pregnant with Amy. We realised we were expecting twins,” said Ms Scheepers.

However, Amy’s twin brother died and Ms Scheepers had a miscarriage, but Amy made it and even though she was born pre-maturely, she is a healthy little girl today.

Ms Scheepers’s sister was also pregnant at the same time and their babies were born only a month apart.

“The two cousins look very much alike today, they are like twins,” said Ms Scheepers.

She still remembers the day when she went to see the doctor and he told her that the baby has a very slight chance to survive inside of her womb and 70% outside.

“The doctor told us we better begin praying for my unborn baby and I created a WhatsApp group and asked friends and relatives to pray with us.

“We were overwhelmed by how many people prayed for her and sent messages of encouragement.

“Amy was so tiny at birth, that my husband’s wedding ring fitted around her arm.

“When I was discharged from hospital, it was the worst experience ever to go home without my baby.

“We went to hospital several times daily to visit her and my husband even quit smoking because we had to sanitise every time we visited her and he had to change his clothes when he smoked.

“Every time when we entered her room, we prayed, before we went to sleep, we prayed for her and God guided her so that she could be a healthy girl today.”

Doctors then said Amy would be behind and maybe even lose her sight and hearing, but today she is among the top 5 learners in her English class at school.

Before the Covid-19 pandemic began, the Scheepers family visited Mediclinic Highveld each year on Amy’s birthday and spoiled the nurses with cake to show their appreciation for everything the hospital staff did for them during Amy’s birth and journey in hospital.

After Ms Scheepers gave her testimony, one of the nurses, who also looked after Amy seven years ago Ms Retha Stander, said a few word of encouragement and then the women had the chance to enjoy breakfast together and talk to each other.