The Innibos Community opens their hearts and wallets to help 3-year old Antoiné Dingle breathe easier
We catch up three-year-old Antoiné Dingle who captured the hearts of the community in White River, Mpumalanga.
Last week, Good Morning Angels introduced you to 3-year old Antoiné Dingle from White River in Mpumalanga. Hundreds of emails had been sent to Good Morning Angels asking for assistance for the Dingle family. Antoiné has been diagnosed with a very rare condition that makes breathing a daily struggle.
Her parents have found a device called a "Diaphragm pacemaker” - but this is only available in the USA at a cost of R500 000,00. They cannot afford this and the community has been trying to raise funds for months. Last week, Sandra Jacobs from the annual Innibos Festival in Mbombela/Nelspruit pledged more fundraising help at the festival. This morning, we talk to Sandra and Antoiné’s mom, Melanie Dingle, to hear how the fundraising efforts went...
ORIGINAL REQUEST:
3 Year old Antoiné suffers from a very rare, and life-threatening condition called CONGENITAL CENTRAL HYPOVENTILATION SYNDROME. In Laymen’s terms. Antoiné has Apnea which causes her to stop breathing as well as Hypoventilation which means she breathes too slowly. The lowered levels of oxygen causes damage to her internal organs. Antoiné’s automatic nervous system is also not functioning at full capacity.
Without proper treatment, Antioné will suffer brain damage, heart failure and damage to all other major organs. There are only 1200 cases in the world which means that the medical aids do not acknowledge her illness and subsequently do not allow pay out for related treatments.
On the 13th of April 2018, Antoiné had a procedure called Tracheostomy, (a tube inserted through the front of her neck to carry air to her lungs). The trachea tube proves to be very challenging as it constantly comes undone and needs then to be inserted back in, which is not only traumatic for Antoine, but extremely painful. It is al so daunting to accept the fact that she will never be able to swim, or play as normal children would. She will be extremely susceptible to lung infections.
She currently has an infection, due to the Trachea and has been admitted to hospital.
Apart from the Trachea Tube, there is another procedure that is being considered, which is called a Diaphragm Pacemaker. Her parents Melanie Dingle and Attie will require about R500 000 for this procedure, as the unit can only be obtained from California USA.
We are having fund raisers, donations and fun walks / runs in aid to assist with this money to obtain this Pacemaker, but it is going very slow and this little girl is suffering.
Please consider Antoiné for Good Morning Angels. I do believe there is such a big need for many people in our country, my heart is broken for this girl, she is strong throughout everything, her little spirit prevails though her parents tears, but she can only take this much.