Born with a hole in her heart, Baby Kendreya thrives thanks to heroes and angels
Compassionate doctors and other NGOs stepped in, ensuring urgent care and transportation before the risks increased at nine months.
Now healthy and thriving, her grateful parents celebrate her second chance at life.
Two Durban parents, Paroosha Naidoo and Kevin Pillay, are grateful to the guardian angels who helped their baby Kendreya undergo the heart surgery that saved her life.
Kendreya was born in October last year to the happy parents from Chatsworth, but their joy was replaced with anxiety in those first few weeks as they watched her struggling to breathe.
'Her stomach would sink with every breath, like her little body was working overtime just to breathe,' Kevin said.
Kevin would drive Paroosha and Kendreya between hospital appointments and tests, sleep in the car while mother and baby waited to see doctors and juggle his night shifts.
Baby Kendreya was then diagnosed with atrioventricular septal defect, or AVSD - a congenital heart defect. She had a large hole in the heart, which affected her blood flow.
'Her heart couldn't pump properly, causing fluid to build up in her lungs. That's why her tummy caved in when she tried to breathe,' said Kevin.
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In a race against time, surgery needed to happen before nine months, otherwise the risks would increase. An appointment scheduled for March this year fell through due to resource constraints at Inkosi Albert Luthuli Hospital, and it was unclear when another surgery could be scheduled.
The two parents prayed for a miracle. In stepped a team of guardian angel doctors who are prepared for such scenarios.
'A light in a dark time'
The parents searched for help and found Dr Wilhelm Lichtenberg and the Young Hearts Africa Foundation. Since its inception in 2023, the foundation has helped 30 children with the same symptoms that Kendraya was experiencing.
'At first, it felt too good to be true, and we were almost worried it might be a scam. But Dr Lichtenberg responded, asking only for medical records, never money. It was a light in a dark time,' said Paroosha.
As they consulted the foundation, Kendreya's condition worsened. She was fatigued, lost her appetite, and started passing blood.
'Babies with AVSD often experience rapid breathing, difficulty feeding, excessive sweating, and poor weight gain,' said Lichtenberg. 'If left untreated, the extra blood flow can damage the lungs, leading to heart failure.
The timing of surgery is critical. The risks increase after six months because the lungs can suffer irreversible damage from the extra blood flow. Early repair gives babies the best chance to grow and thrive.
Unable to access private healthcare, Lichtenberg ensured that Kendreya would get the surgery she needed in Cape Town.
'When the Young Hearts Africa Foundation reached out about Baby Kendreya's urgent case, the Netcare Foundation and Netcare Christiaan Barnard Memorial Hospital immediately prioritised her AVSD repair,' said Mande Toubkin, Netcare's general manager of trauma, transplant, and corporate social investment.
'There's a huge need for specialised paediatric heart surgeries - they are complex, resource-heavy, and absolutely essential for giving these children a fighting chance.'
Images suppled by MNA on behalf of Netcare.
'Holding her for the first time after surgery'
Young Hearts Africa reached out to Wings and Wishes. They help remove transport barriers for disadvantaged children to get medical treatment and joined the effort by providing the necessary airline flights for Baby Kendreya and her parents.
And so, Baby Kendreya received life-changing help in the nick of time during a surgery in Cape Town thanks to the help of guardian angel doctors and NGOs - an emotional journey for the grateful parents.
'Dr Lichtenberg and Dr Vosloo are our heroes, our angels - our only option, and we can't express our appreciation to the Netcare Foundation, the Young Hearts Africa Foundation, and everyone involved,' the grateful parents said.
'She has healed so quickly and been so active since the operation. Kendreya is fascinated by the world around her,' Paroosha added.
Now back home in Durban, Kendreya's family is filled with gratitude for the care and support that saved their daughter's life.
'As parents, you experience every emotion imaginable, but holding her for the first time after surgery, feeding her, and seeing her fight back made it all worthwhile,' said mom Paroosha.
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