A KZN boy has had his life transformed by a specialist medical team from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, which recently performed complex surgery to remove disfiguring and painful tumours from his face and foot, reports News24.
The multidisciplinary team, led by Professor Anil Madaree, Head of Craniofacial Surgery at the Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine at UKZN, successfully operated on Alondwe Ngwenya (10) at Netcare uMhlanga Hospital in June.
Made possible by the Netcare Foundation, the surgery treated Alondwe’s neurofibromatosis – a rare condition that had caused him years of pain and isolation, and hindered his mobility and hearing – and was performed pro bono by the specialists from the public and private healthcare sectors, proving the power of collaboration.
For years, the condition had caused the boy severe discomfort and social isolation, and prevented him from enjoying his greatest passion – soccer.
Madaree said he first heard about the case after the youngster appeared in the media when his mother appealed for medical assistance for his condition in February this year.
At the time, she told News24 that for nine years, her efforts to find help had been unsuccessful and that Alongwe’s condition was getting worse.
Madaree said several NGOs had approached him to see what could be done to help the lad, and the real breakthrough came when the Netcare Foundation offered support, making the procedure possible in the private sector, after his scans and work-up in the public sector.
“The condition – neurofibromatosis – involves benign tumours of the nerve cells that keep on growing, usually affecting multiple sites on the body. For Alondwe, the biggest were on his head and neck, and on one of his feet.
“We were confident it was possible to alleviate some of the discomfort and functional impact the tumours were having on him, to significantly improve his quality of life,” Madaree said.
Alondwe and his mother, Ntombifuthi Khumalo, travelled from their rural hometown of Bergville in northern KwaZulu-Natal to Durban for the surgery in June.
The operation was performed by a team that included ENT specialist Dr Mahommed Thandar, reconstructive surgeon Dr Zama Khumalo, anaesthetist Dr Luxmi Pillay, and otorhinolaryngologist Dr Warren Kuhn.
Khumalo said the very large mass of tumour was affecting Alondwe’s head, and his ear was quite distorted as a result.
“The bone of the ear, the canal and the pinna were distorted by the growth, which affected his hearing in that ear.”
She added that the tumour on the boy’s head was both a cosmetic and hearing issue, while the tumour on his foot was affecting his walking and was therefore a functional issue.
“The mass was putting serious strain on all the surrounding tissue, stretching the skin on Alondwe’s face, so we removed as much as possible in the debulking surgery,” she told News24.
The Netcare Foundation, Netcare Group’s corporate social investment arm, mobilised theatre space, ICU resources and post-operative care at Netcare uMhlanga Hospital.
Mande Toubkin, GM of emergency, trauma, transplant and CSI at Netcare, said the organisation was moved by Alondwe’s story and committed to helping make the operation a reality.
“We’re incredibly proud of our medical professionals who gave their time and expertise pro bono to help a very brave young boy.”
After several days in ICU and further observation at Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital, Alondwe was discharged and sent home to recover.
While the damage to his ear canal cannot be fully reversed at this stage, his hearing in the other ear remains intact. Doctors said a hearing implant could be considered in the future if needed.
Madaree added that follow-up visits after the swelling fully subsides would assess whether further minor adjustments would be beneficial.
“For now, the outcome is positive, and we’re proud to have played a part in his recovery.”
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