Mijke is a miracle baby, says mom

Mijke Kotze

An 8-month-old Bloemfontein baby born with a rare disease has exceeded her family’s expectations and survived.

Mijke’s mother, Cindy Kotze, said soon after she gave birth in May 2015, she learned that her child had Treacher Collins syndrome, a condition that affects the bones and tissues of the face.

- Health24: Treacher Collins syndrome (TCS)

Doctors warned Kotze that Mijke might not survive her first 24 hours. “She is a miracle baby, she made it despite what the doctor said,” Kotze said.

“While I was lying on my bed in hospital, I kept thinking that the doctor might soon come and tell me that my baby had died, but she survived and we can only thank God,” she said.



Kotze, 30, said Mijke spent 111 days in the neonatal intensive care unit of the Life Rose Park Hospital in Bloemfontein. “I waited more than a month before I was allowed to hold her in my arms. I was scared that if I held her, I would hurt her,” she said.
Her daughter was fed through a special machine. 
Stressful
“Mijke refluxes during and after feeds. She also can’t suck or swallow food, and also doesn’t have the ability to take a bottle. Her ears are not fully functional. Her inner ear has formed, but she does not have ear canals.
"It is impossible at this stage to know how much she hears. She wears a hearing aid and will need implantation done by the age of 4,” said Kotze, adding that Mijke's hearing implantation operation would cost R220 000.
Soon after Mijke was released from hospital, Kotze had to quit her job and look after her full time. “It is very stressful because you need to stay awake at all times and I have to attend to her as quickly as possible.”
Kotze said her other two children, aged 10 and 5, had been helpful with little Mijke. 
An anonymous sponsor was paying for her feeding machine and tubes, which cost R3 000 per month.
In February, Mijke would undergo an operation to help the reflux and repair her cleft palate.