The infant who
was suffering from a mysterious change in facial appearance and prolonged
illness, passed away last Thursday, and was laid to rest in Mutasa on Sunday.
Baby Japhet had
undergone surgery two days prior to his death, after being diagnosed with a
diaphragmatic hernia — a rare and life-threatening condition where a hole in
the diaphragm allows abdominal organs to move into the chest cavity, crowding
the lungs and heart.
His distraught
father, Japhet Chinyanga said although the surgery had proceeded as planned,
doctors later discovered that blood had flooded the child’s lungs, and he
succumbed before they could intervene.
“Maybe we
should not have had him operated on and left him with his condition. We are
just confused and in pain.
“Doctors told
me that his lungs were filled with blood, and they were about to drain it when
he passed away. I asked them how the blood got there, but they said they did
not know either.
“It seems the
doctor who was supposed to drain it arrived after he had already died,” said
Chinyanga, his voice heavy with grief.
The tragedy
struck just as the family was beginning to believe that their child might
survive the ordeal which started months earlier when the baby’s face began to
age rapidly and unusually, causing confusion and fear among relatives and
neighbours.
The baby’s
mysterious condition had initially baffled both medical professionals and
traditional healers, with some suggesting witchcraft or supernatural
involvement.
Chinyanga said
watching his baby’s features deteriorate and transform into something
unrecognisable was the most helpless experience of his life.
“I used to look
at my son and wonder where my baby had gone. It was as if he was trapped inside
a mask of suffering.
“Then the
diagnosis came, and we thought he was finally going to be okay. We thought he
was going to live.
“He suffered so
much in such a short time. He never got to laugh properly, crawl, or speak.
“But in those
few moments when he was alert, he would look at us as if he knew he did not
have much time on earth,” said Chinyanga.
The young
couple took their baby to several hospitals, clinics, and even traditional
healers in search of answers.
Following weeks
of oxygen support at Sally Mugabe Hospital, doctors finally diagnosed the baby
with a diaphragmatic hernia, explaining that a portion of his intestines had
migrated into his chest cavity and was compressing his lungs.
Initially,
doctors placed him on medication, indicating that surgery would be necessary
once his heart was confirmed strong enough.
The family
struggled to raise funds for the requisite scans and procedures.
With the
assistance of well-wishers, they managed to raise money for the initial
assessments and eventual surgery.
For the baby’s
mother, Rutendo Nyamutata-Chinyanga, the grief remains overwhelming.
“I carried him
for nine months and watched him suffer for another nine. Even when his face
changed, and people whispered behind our backs, I still believed in his life.
“I prayed every
day for him to be healed,” she sobbed, adding that one of the most painful
aspects to accept was that the surgery had instilled hope, only to leave them
more heartbroken than before.
“The day of the
surgery, I held his tiny hand and told him he was going to be okay. I told him
to fight. I had no idea that two days later he would pass away,” she said.
She explained
that the doctors informed her that the baby’s lungs were compromised by the
presence of blood, which was visible in an X-ray.
“They had
planned to drain it, but unfortunately, they failed to do until his death.
“I do not
apportion blame, but my heart is broken. I simply wish they had acted sooner,”
she said, struggling to hold back tears.
The baby’s
burial in Mutasa was a sombre occasion, with friends, relatives, and community
members gathering to mourn the short and painful life that had brought so much
hope and sorrow. Manica Post
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