Johannesburg - In November last year, 9-year-old Caroline Smit, from Tzaneen in Limpopo, suddenly fainted, which led doctors to discover that she was living with a large hole in her heart.
“We had no idea Caroline had a heart condition until then, and for my wife and I, it was the start of a long and painful journey when the tests showed she needed a very urgent heart operation. I could never wish this on anyone else,” said Caroline’s father, Petrus Smit.
However, thanks to a pro bono lifesaving procedure, the little girl, who wants to be a vet one day, recently underwent the procedure at the advanced paediatric cardiothoracic unit at Netcare Sunninghill Hospital in Sandton to correct the congenital heart defect, which was placing great strain on the left side of her heart and risking further permanent damage.
“Caroline is such a caring child. She is a young lady who loves nature and animals, especially our two dogs at home. She also really loves her grandfather, my father who lives with us, and it is such a huge relief for our family that our daughter’s heart is now working as it should,” the proud father said.
The procedure was made possible by the Netcare Foundation with specialists from the renowned Maboneng Heart and Lung Institute.
“Caroline, who has a history of experiencing tiredness and headaches, was referred to us from the public sector after receiving treatment when she suddenly lost consciousness at the end of last year,” said cardiothoracic surgeon and co-founder of the Maboneng Heart and Lung Institute, Dr Erich Schürmann, who led the medical team who donated their time and expertise pro bono to assist Caroline.
Schürmann said the little girl was 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.
“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 said.
The specialised ASD closure procedure to repair Caroline’s heart defect was performed by cardiothoracic surgeons Dr Schürmann and Dr Martin Myburgh of the Maboneng Heart and Lung Institute, paediatric cardiologist Dr Jane Pilusa, who practises at Netcare Sunninghill Hospital, as well as anaesthetist Dr Krishnee Naidoo and cardiac perfusionist Mogotsi Mophosho.
According to Netcare, Caroline recovered rapidly after her operation and was discharged from the hospital a mere three days later.
“It feels like a mountain has been lifted from our shoulders. Our little angel is already feeling better and it is something to see the difference in her eyes and her energy levels since the operation. She is running around and playing like a normal kid,” her father said.
“My wife, Lucille, and I can never thank the foundation as well as the doctors and nurses enough 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 with the paperwork from my boss’s wife, Marlie Louw.”
The Star