Facial reconstruction in South Africa: A Phiwa Update

 

Many of you have followed the journey of our eldest child, Nokuphiwa (Phiwa), as she has made two trips to the U.S. for reconstructive surgery and ultimately got stuck for many months during Covid-19 lock down. If you want to start at the beginning you can go to this blog and then search Nokuphiwa for other updates.

 

With borders closed and international travel almost impossible we decided to try to find a solution closer to home to help Phiwa continue with the facial reconstruction work that is still to be done. While the surgery is “free” in the U.S. through our friends at Global Medical Relief Fund in partnership with the Shriners Hospital in Boston, the cost of accommodation, the legal guardian being away from home and work in Eswatini and the sheer stress related became priceless (and almost unbearable).

 

Our nursing team sent many emails to surgeons in South Africa (the medical system and hospitals here are extraordinarily good), but we couldn’t get anyone to even agree to an appointment. We finally had a “bite” and crossed two international borders for an appointment. We really liked the surgeon and were very hopeful, only to have him decline taking Phiwa on as a patient. His loss.

 

Traveling from Eswatini to South Africa is no easy feat, and requires Covid-19 PCR tests ($60 USD each), Ian, Nokwanda and me to make the 6 hour drive each way with Phiwa and a night in a hotel with two rooms. But we are committed to this remarkable young woman and so we persevered. Finally, we found a surgeon who would see us. We made the journey again a few weeks ago (again) and BINGO! We found our man.  On Tuesday we crossed those same to international borders (again), after taking new PCR tests (again), and on Wednesday Phiwa had her next surgery, but this time it was more fun.

 

How can facial reconstruction be fun? By bringing a friend.

 

We surprised Phiwa, and all the children and staff, by inviting 9-year-old Miriam to join us. She is a very sweet girl who is a good friend to Phiwa and one child for whom we have a birth certificate (160+ of our children are not able to get a birth certificate at this time, which is a big problem). We were able to get her travel documents (like a passport) and shared the great news with all. Miriam, like almost all of our other children, has never left Eswatini. She has never crossed a border, never ridden an elevator and never seen a hotel.  Our goal was to expose Miriam to a larger world, reward her for being a good and helpful girl, and give Phiwa a friend to go through the good part and the hard part of this facial surgery.

 

Miriam listened well and asked Phiwa lots of questions. Phiwa was a gracious and helpful friend who loved sharing her worldly knowledge of how turn on a tv in a hotel and how to read a menu. I tried to see the world through Miriam’s eyes, taking photos were possible for her to share with her classmates when she is back at school. McDonalds was a very new and exciting discovery, complete with a metal faucet that pumps out all the ketchup you can eat. The hand blow dryers in the bathroom were a surprise, but so was the homeless boy sitting on the ground outside of McDonalds filthy, sickly and begging for food. The elevator ride was fun, but not nearly as shocking as the 3-bedroom penthouse suite (!) that the hotel upgraded us to without us requesting any special treatment. When asked about it, they told us that they remember us being there before and they want to support our efforts. I call that a God kiss.

 

We all went out for Italian food the night before surgery and Phiwa ordered what she always does, spaghetti with meatballs. Miriam looked and the extensive menu and saw the words bacon and avocado under the Pizza heading and she knew what she wanted.  I looked across the table and saw that Phiwa was so happy to have her friend there. I quietly said, “Thank you for being so welcoming and helpful to your friend.” And without missing a beat Phiwa responded, “Thank you for getting her a passport”. I almost burst into tears, but alas, my procuitto and rocket pizza arrived and saved the day.

 

The rest of the evening was filled with an extravangant (first time) bubble bath, Cartoon network on a giant tv screen and microwave popcorn. What more could a couple of silly girls ask for before going in for facial reconstruction surgery?

 

The surgery went well. They injected her top lip with fat filler taken from a site on her stomach.  Then they removed tendons from her leg and made a sling to pull her bottom lip up. The goal for this surgery is to have her lips close, which will make speaking/intonation/enunciation easier and will make it easier for her to eat. She was in a lot of pain when she came out of surgery, much more than past surgeries due to the more invasive surgery. The next day she was miserable and it made for a rough drive home, again across two borders. But she is a trooper, with little complaining. As Ian drove, Nokwanda napped in the back seat and Miriam had the iPad to herself, we listened to music. The song "The Blessing" came on and a few minutes into the song I heard a small voice from the back seat singing, "He is for you. He is for you. He is for you. He is for you."  I couldn't choke back my tears any longer. I don't know if the Lord sent that message for her, or for me or for us all, but I heard it loud and clear through a tiny voice in the back seat. HE IS FOR YOU.

 

The next surgery will be a much bigger and scarier surgery where they will need to remove the eyeball that has melted to its lid, redirect a tear duct that weeps out of her eye brown and reconstruct her eye socket and left side of her face. Phiwa told us at dinner that she is very afraid of that surgery and she fears the pain that she will feel. Again, without missing a beat Miriam responded, “Don’t worry, you’ll manage the pain”. 

Next week will be my last weekly blog on Saturday mornings. I will still contribute monthly to the Heart for Africa Share Hope blog, but I won’t be joining you for coffee every Saturday morning. If you have been moved by Phiwa’s story and are in a position to help us with all of our children who need medical attention, I am asking you to dig deep and give generously today. Miriam herself had a severely broken tibia and fibia from a bike accident earlier this year, and she knows pain. This week alone we had two children who needed surgery to fix serious umbilical hernias and these all cost money.

If you can give, please do so today.

 

Click here to give in the US.

 

Click here to give in Canada.

 

Live from Eswatini … I am so proud of my brave girls, Phiwa and Miriam.

 

Janine