Operation at last for little Luvo

Baby Luvolwethu Mana – who was born with a rare congenital heart defect in August – received life-saving surgery on Wednesday after a five-month wait.

This was after the Eastern Cape health department called on private surgeons to assist.

The province does not have a cardiothoracic surgeon on staff who can perform surgeries on children.

As a result, children were sent to Cape Town’s Red Cross Hospital or kept in hospital pending surgery.

The department said because of Luvolwethu’s lifethreatening situation it had paid for her to have the surgery at Life St George’s Hospital.

“I am so very happy now,” her mom, Gloria, 33, said.

She gave up her job as a general worker in Somerset East to be with her baby.

She said doctors had told her the surgery was a success and Luvolwethu was doing very well in intensive care.

“You could play with her one minute and the next moment she would turn blue.

“She would just stop breathing and her heart stopped.”

She had been awaiting surgery since January 3.

Eastern Cape health department spokesperson Lwandile Sicwetsha did not respond to a request for comment.