Good Morning Angels: Many come together to help save baby Mia

GOOD MORNING ANGELS 31 MAY 2017 (MIA/SPAR/FRANCOIS V COKE)

Angels needed to save prem Baby Mia and her little leg.

REQUEST FROM: Various

REQUEST FOR: Baby Mia

ANGEL 1: Retha Ingenbleek, Spar North Rand

SPONSORING: The annual Spar Woman’s Challenge is around the corner on 5 August 2017 at Supersport Park. Every year Spar donates some of the proceeds of race entrees to GMA causes. This year Spar will help Baby Mia with a donation of R25,000 for medical expenses.

ANGEL 2: Tiaan Erasmus en Francois van Coke

SPONSORING: Tiaan and his friends are massive Francois van Coke fans. At Jacaranda Day, he donated R20,000 to Good Morning Angels for a picture with Francois. That R20,000 is going towards Baby Mia’s medical care.

ANGEL 3: The Good Morning Angels Fund

SPONSORING: The Good Morning Angels Fund will contribute R20,000 to Baby Mia’s hospital care.

BACKGROUND: Baby Mia Swanepoel surprised her mom, Christel, with an early arrival on the 8th of May. Christel went to the local state hospital in Polokwane, who referred her to Mankweng hospital, as the hospital in Polokwane did not have facilities for premature baby care. She was told to wait in reception. She waited for hours, and as a first time mom, she wasn’t sure about the labour process, but Christel realised her baby was on the way and desperately pleaded for help. The hospital staff brought her a wheelchair, but before Christel could get in the chair, Mia was born. 

Christel literally caught her her own child in her hands. Mia weighed 900 grams and her one leg was hurt in the process. It became clear that Mia needed more specialised care than what the state facility could provide, but the family did not have a medical aid or funds to pay for private care. Family and friends started a fundraising drive that got enough money together for Mia to be transferred to a private hospital. However, she needs to stay there for at least another month, and the bills are piling up.

YOU CAN HELP:

Child Medi Organization

FNB, Cheque

Acc no: 626 325 810 56

Branch Code: 250655

Swift code: firnzajj

Ref: Mia

ORIGINAL REQUEST: 

Mamma en Mia se storie

Mia’s mommy went into early labour on Sunday 7 May 2017. Not knowing she was in labour she went to the Polokwane Provincial hospital. Upon her arrival they referred her to the Mankweng Hospital and arranged for an ambulance to take her there. According to them they did not have the necessary facilities to treat Mia and her mommy. 

Upon arrival at Mankweng the mommy was advised that they did not have a bed available for her and also that there is no doctor on duty. She was sent to go wait on a bench even though she begged them for help. The staff told her to wait until a doctor comes on duty.

At about 4am on Monday, 8 May 2017, the mommy again went to reception and begged for help. They again told her to go rest on the bench. She then felt the baby coming. It was only then when the reception staff rushed to her aid with a wheelchair to take her to the maternity ward. Before they however reached her with the wheelchair little Mia came out. The mommy literally caught her baby and prevented her from falling on the floor. 

They immediately took the baby away to the Neonatal ward. They did not give the mommy any information with regards to her baby.

Little Mia weighed 900g at birth. She now weights 1.09kg. She is on oxygen now but they are advising that they are going to move her to a general ward as soon as she’s off the oxygen. Eight babies have passed away in the said general ward over the past two weeks. 

Mia’s mommy is really scared for her baby’s life. Once she’s transferred to the general ward, her baby will not get help 24 hours a day. The mommy herself stays in a building without running water and proper facilities, where she shares a room with 34 other mothers, all sleeping on mattresses to be able to feed their babies every three hours.

The mommy today asked the doctor if her baby can be transferred to Steve Biko and was advised that it is out of the question. They advised that Mia doesn’t have any real complications and only babies with serious complications get transferred to Steve Biko. 

They have also already given Mia a blood transfusion and they now want to operate on her leg. It seems like her little leg is broken due to a splint they tried to put on. The report the doctor gave is also very unclear. We are begging everyone for help and support!

Follow-up: Môre almal.. Namens Child Medi en Mia se mamma wil ons opreg dankie sê vir jul gulhartige bydraes om klein Mia se lewe te red. Ons het die dep van R100'000 soos deur Medic Clinic versoek bymekaar. Vanoggend reël ons vir haar oorplasing na Medic Clinic, waar n Pediater haar onder hande sal neem.. Kla gereël. Ons glo dat die res van die geld wat benodig word ook in die volgende paar dae bygebring sal kan word. Nogmaals baie dankie vir almal wat hul harte alreeds oopgemaak het, en wat nog dit gaan doen, alles vir klein Mia.

Mia se beentjie is volgens hospitaal personeel, net uit potjie uit, maar sy sê Mia se voetjie is blou en as sy net aan beentjie raak huil sy.

Ons smeek regtig vir enige hulp of advies.

Child Medi Organization

FNB, Cheque

Acc no: 626 325 810 56

Branch Code: 250655

Swift code: firnzajj

Ref: Mia