Baby Born with Intestines Outside of Body Finally Home, Grateful Family Thanks Doctors
- A local baby, Ephraim Maleho, was born with his intestines and half the liver outside his abdominal cavity
- Having noticed his abnormalities in prenatal ultrasounds, Dr Ricky Dippenaar was quick to act and helped the little boy achieve a full recovery
- Ephraim's parents, Beneline Maleho and Melvory van Wyk, have expressed much gratitude to the hospital staff who kept their little warrior alive
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Ephraim Maleho was born with his intestines and half the liver protruding from his little body in a translucent bubble. The miracle baby survived a rare condition known as exomphalos with the kind help of medical staff at Netcare Blaauwberg Hospital.
Source: Facebook
Ephraim was special even before birth
Following a painstaking three-month recovery, the baby boy is now thriving at home with his family. Ephraim's parents, Beneline Maleho and Melvory van Wyk, opened up about their son's difficult beginning and shared the joy of having their little boy in good health.
Beneline says she knew her baby was special from the moment he lay in her womb. Her suspicions proved correct as soon doctors picked up something peculiar about her unborn child.
“At the 13-week ultrasound scan of my pregnancy, the doctor picked up something unusual about the baby. We found out that some of his internal organs were developing outside his body,” says Beneline.
Birth and recovery
Opening up about the birth, Melvory shared the anxiety they all felt the day Ephraim was born.
“Ephraim’s birth was powerfully emotional...We were so relieved that he had survived, but the neonatal intensive care team needed to stabilise him and he was immediately taken to the neonatal intensive care unit [NICU] so we were very worried, and we knew it was the start of a long journey," Melvory recalls.
Dr Ricky Dippenaar oversaw the team which performed the miracle baby's surgery. He explains how Ephraim was kept in a controlled environment for almost two months to allow time for his abdominal cavity and skin tissue to develop.
After two months, Ephraim was ready for surgery and the team was able to successfully place the sac of intestines and liver back into his body.
The little warrior is finally taken home
Since then, the three-month-old has spent a month at home recovering. The family says their little warrior is doing exceptionally well and ended by thanking the hospital staff for their great care.
“We thank God for sending these angels to look after our son.... We want other families to know that there are people who understand what it is like to go through a difficult journey like we had with Ephraim, and that there is hope. He is our little miracle warrior,” Melvory ended.
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Taxi driver who transports hospital patients for free gets standing ovation
In some more inspirational news, Briefly News previously reported that a taxi driver's continuous kindness to patients has been recognized by the hospital management in a special way.
According to Everyday Heroes on LinkedIn, the taxi driver is famed for assisting patients to the hospital in Spain at no cost to them.
Sweet moment taxi driver who usually took patients to hospital for free got a standing ovation, cash from doctors and nurses
In a Reddit video, the unsuspecting driver was stunned with a rousing standing ovation by doctors and nurses as he gained access into the hospital premises.
The ovation which was done with rounds of applause was then sealed with a cash gift in an envelope to the man.
The overwhelmed man appreciated the hospital staff for the gesture. He was said to have come around to pick up another patient when the surprise happened.
Social media users describe him as a hero
George Holovaci commented:
"We can all play our part to assist fellow man. Good on the medical staff for recognizing this gentleman’s contribution. I am sure this was unexpected and made the guy’s day. More importantly, it likely encourages him to assist more going forward.
"If we all did similarly and recognized the giving efforts of others, would we not all be better off? I am motivated to make it a point to commend someone’s efforts today!"
Lutz E. Weber wrote:
"Gosh, there are so many examples how to do thing right. My deepest respect for this gentlemen and other guys, being unknown heroes around us..."
Emily L. Bouwens said:
"I absolutely love seeing people who help others!! And also to see how they react when shown appreciation for what they do!! Especially when they think they really didn't do anything."
Denise P.O. reacted:
"What a hero - and that the heroes in scrubs take time to also recognize him - a class act all around! I love these moments - there is so much good and kindness in the world - does the heart good to get a little daily reminder of it and each of us can, in our own little way, do something quietly that shows kindness around us!"
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Source: Briefly News
