Rodwell Nkomazana (9), was mauled by a hyena while sleeping at an all-night church service in May in Harare, Zimbabwe. Thanks to the fundraising of strangers and the kindness of the surgeons volunteering their services, Rodwell will undergo reconstructive surgery in Sandton, Daily Maverick reports.
“After weeks of campaigning and fundraising to get Rodwell here, it’s so overwhelming to see the amount of love shown,” Dr Sayuren Moonsamy who manages the emergency clinic at Sandton Mediclinic told Daily Maverick.
A nine year old boy Rodwell Khomazana who was attacked by Hyena outside Harare Zimbabwe has arrived at Mediclinic in Sandton Johannesburg South Africa for reconstructive surgery. #sabcnews pic.twitter.com/MCcOtnKJKi
— Sophie Mokoena (@Sophie_Mokoena) June 19, 2021
Up until this point, Rodwell had been treated at Parirenyatwa Hospital in Harare. Moonsamy said the medical crew in Zimbabwe did an amazing job at keeping him alive. A team of top surgeons in South Africa have now volunteered to perform life-critical reconstructive surgery to rebuild his nose, jaw and cheeks.
Renowned plastic surgeon, Ridwan Mia, who is expected to lead the surgery team, commented that the middle part of Rodwell’s face is completely missing, including most of his upper lip and nose, part of his forehead, and he’s lost his left eye.
Thanks to the fundraising efforts, trauma nurse, Maqshuda Kajee and Moonsamy flew to Zimbabwe on Saturday to accompany Rodwell and his mother on a flight from Harare to Johannesburg.
Along with reconstructive surgery, Rodwell will go through months of speech therapy, occupational therapy, and psychotherapy to assist him to speak properly again, eat and by himself and play soccer with his friends once again.
“If he wasn’t to have that reconstructed… I think we would be hearing about this terrible story of a child who probably will not face society again,” Mia said. “And that was the big key, that we can get him a face that he can walk around in public with and still feel and be as normal a child as possible.”
Along with the medical team who volunteered their services, Kajee would like to thank the public for their donations and even for the symbolic acts of support that all contributed to making this possible, where treatment is estimated to cost more than R1 million.
Rodwell is scheduled to have an assessment procedure on June 21, whereafter a reconstructive procedure will be planned. There is still a long road ahead for Rodwell, but the medical team and support around him are there to ensure he has a full recovery.
How can we #HelpRodwell ? The nine year has arrived at Sandton Mediclinic to undergo surgery to repair his severely wounded face.
Rodwell was at a church gathering outside Harare when he was attacked by a hyena . @DrRidwanMia leads the medical support effort. pic.twitter.com/adCYk6ITVI— ChampionSouthAfrica (@ChampionSAfrica) June 19, 2021
Picture: Kenneth Babilon
