Woman cries for help about baby born with no anal opening

Twenty-eight-year-old Koketso of Tlokweng is living in distress; she is worried about her four-year old boy, baby Setlamo, who was born with no anal opening.

When she gave birth at Princess Marina Hospital (PMH) and got discharged three days later, she assumed that everything was well with her and the baby. However, a day later, she noticed veins popping out on his raised stomach, and he appeared bloated.

She panicked and rushed to the hospital where they inspected the baby and told her that she had no anal opening. A surgery was booked immediately at Bokamoso Hospital and an opening was made on his stomach to allow stools to pass.

Doctors advised her that the process of anal opening surgery would take a year to complete.

“We then went home and life continued, on the ninth month, an opening was made on his buttocks and after it had healed, the one on the tummy was stitched back together. Two weeks later, I noticed that my child was not well, it seems like the inside of his anal was getting pushed out each time he passed stools,” Koketso said.

She monitored the situation and informed doctors of what was happening. Nothing much was done to remedy this and as time passed, Princess Marina Hospital told her that they now have specialists capable of dealing with the matter, which meant she would not have to go back to Bokamoso Hospital.

Visit after another to the hospital has not got her the service she wants and what she has realised now is that her baby is unable to hold stools and urine. Everything passes anytime, without warning.

This has resulted in her using nappies day in and out. In a day, she uses seven diapers in total and in cases where her child has diarrhoea, she can use more than 20 diapers a day.

The situation is financially crippling her. She cannot keep up and wonder how long she will have to live this way. What makes it worse is that her baby is growing and is demanding to go to school.

“He is becoming aware of her surroundings as he grows. He already hates the nappies that we always make him wear. He always asks us to give him underwear, not diapers.

“Sometimes while playing with others, he takes the nappies out, exposing himself to infections. Now he is adamant about going to school and we wonder how to handle it, he gets very uncomfortable after messing himself, he will not allow other people to touch him except me and his grandmother,” she said.

Keletso added that she could take him to her workplace as she works with children with special needs, but the problem is that she would spend the whole day attending to him alone. Her child needs special attention, someone who will check on him tirelessly throughout the day,” she said.

Koketso said the hospital promised to call her this September for a way forward but as the month end nears, she is losing hope.

“I just want them to tell me if they will help my child. I was told that the surgery we did in Bokamoso was unsuccessful but I am getting frustrated that this is taking too long to remedy. We are sometimes called to the hospital, stay there for a few days then discharged again,” she said.

Princess Marina Hospital spokesperson Keemenao Sampisi said he was not aware of the matter. He assured that they will reach out to Koketso and hear her out.