Good Morning Angels: Helping breadwinner back on her feet with an operation

BACKGROUND: Being the breadwinner for yourself and your child on a domestic worker salary, is not easy. Also being the guardian and provider to your siblings’ six children sounds impossible. For Judith Xaba, this is a blessing and her biggest wish to be able to carry on doing. Judith has taken in both her deceased sister and brother’s children as her own. She does not complain about the financial and emotional burden, she just wants to be able to provide for all her in the family - as she has done for the past few years. Unfortunately, Judith herself needs some help now. She broke her leg about 10 years ago. The leg was put in a cast, but grew back crookedly and now is at a 30-degree angle. This has put pressure on her knee, that needs to be replaced. Judith’s employers have taken her to various state hospitals, where she’s been given surgery dates, that were cancelled. She was last year told that it could take three to five years before she would get a knee replacement. Her employers have approached Operation Healing Hands and have given R50 000,00 towards the prosthetic knee and costs - but because of the break 10 years ago, Judith needs some specialised corrective surgery first. This will also be done free of charge, but the specialised screws, cage and other consumables will cost another R100 000,00. After coming this far, this amount is all that stands between Judith's pain and her ability to support those she loves and cares for. 

REQUEST FROM: Jan and Marthie Zeederberg and Operation Healing Hands 

REQUEST FOR: Judith Xaba 

ANGEL: Tasoulla Hadjigeorgio, Director of  Lottostar 

SPONSORING: LottoStar will donate the R 100 000,00 needed for Judith to receive both the corrective operation and following knee replacement to get her walking normally and pain-free!

ORIGINAL REQUEST: 

Hello Dianne, Martin and the Good Morning Angels team,

Judith started working for Jan and Marthie Zeederberg in 2009, 10 years ago. Shortly after, she slipped on the proverbial banana peel at her house and broke her leg quite badly. She was taken to hospital where the broken leg was put into a cast. However, the broken leg wasn’t set straight and healed incorrectly. This only became worse over time. Judith’s leg is now at around a 30-degree angle.

Due to Judith’s deterioration in her leg and the increasing difficulty to walk, Marthie took Judith to Steve Biko Hospital where they applied for a knee replacement for Judith. She was put on a very long waiting list. Seeing as her pain was increasing and her mobility was declining, they decided to try other hospitals in the hope that someone would be able to come to Judith’s aid. They even tried to get help from hospitals in Witbank and Thembisa. At some of these hospitals Judith was even given surgery dates, but when she got there on the day of her surgery, she was sent home due to no available beds. In 2018, Judith reapplied at Steve Biko as her leg had deteriorated so much that she was now desperate for help. Again she was put on a waiting list and told that she would have to wait 3-5 years. 

What makes this story even more of a worthy cause is the fact that Judith is not only the breadwinner but is the sole parent and guardian to 6 children. Judith’s sister passed away a couple of years ago, leaving 3 children orphaned. Her brother has also passed, leaving 3 children behind. Caring for 6 adopted children as well as 1 of her own, Judith has been taking care of this family. She is employed fulltime and says that all she wants is to be able to work so that she can take care of her children. She is currently only able to go home to her children once a month due to her intense level of pain and difficult mobility. 

Marthie, Judith’s employer came across an article in the Midstream local newspaper about a replacement surgery that OHH conducted at Midstream Mediclinic in 2018, and immediately contacted us for help. Midstream came on board immediately along with Dr Phillip de Lange, orthopaedic surgeon and his team at Midstream Mediclinic, in order to play their part in giving Judith back her life. Judith’s case is, unfortunately, more complicated than was originally anticipated in that the original break will need to be reset first. Once this has healed, she will be eligible for her knee replacement. Although the hospital, theatre time, doctor’s time and expertise, as well as the entire staff on this case, donate their time for free, there are still a number of outstanding costs. 

Jan and Marthie, Judith’s employers have already donated R50 000 towards her surgery. OHH doctors, anaesthetists and medical staff have all pledged to provide their time and care at no cost and Midstream Mediclinic has provided both Judith’s theatre time and hospital stay at no cost. Unfortunately, the consumables, frame and knee prosthesis that Judith needs is very expensive. But with another R100 000.00, Judith will be able to walk again.

 Best regards,

Ané du Preez

Operation Healing Hands