Online Reporter
Tanaka Nkala
FOR Ms Rachel Mhlanga of Nketa suburb in Bulawayo, motherhood was supposed to be familiar territory, but nothing could have prepared her for the storm she was about to face — a storm that would eventually deliver a miracle so small it could fit in the palm of her hand.
Today, her daughter, Christwish Miracle Chingini, is 11 months old — bubbly, crawling and full of life. But the story of how she got here still feels unreal, even to her mother.
Christwish was born at the United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) four months before her due date, weighing just 405 grammes. She was so tiny that her gender was not immediately clear, her delicate skin glowing softly under the hospital lights as she clung bravely to life.
“She looked like a little mouse. She was so small, so fragile, yet she was fighting,” recalled Ms Mhlanga.
Her journey into motherhood for the third time had begun with joy until fear set in. At only two months pregnant, she learnt she was at risk of miscarrying. Frequent visits to her gynaecologist became the new normal, and by her fourth month, her blood pressure had soared dangerously high.
A scan showed that despite everything, a tiny baby girl was growing, weighing just 400g at the time. But by the sixth month, Ms Mhlanga’s condition had worsened. Doctors diagnosed her with pre-eclampsia, a life-threatening complication for both mother and baby.
On November 25 last year, she was admitted to UBH as doctors worked desperately to stabilise her.
Three days later, came the crushing news that the baby had stopped growing, and the placenta had ruptured.
“The only option was to deliver the baby, but her chances of surviving weren’t definite. It broke our hearts,” said Ms Mhlanga.
Five agonising days later, Ms Mhlanga was taken into surgery. When the doctors handed her the newborn, she could barely process what she was seeing.
“She was unbelievably tiny. I was scared to hold her. I couldn’t even tell whether she was a boy or a girl,” she said.
The fragile infant was whisked away to the special care unit. Ms Mhlanga and her husband braced themselves for the worst — then came a glimmer of hope.
“I saw her breathing and struggling, but alive. I couldn’t believe it,” she said, smiling at the memory.
The battle for survival had only begun. Christwish’s skin was too delicate for some treatments, her lungs too immature to function on their own. Nurses and doctors taught Ms Mhlanga how to assist with oxygen, how to feed her daughter through a tiny nasogastric tube. Each feeding was a test of courage.
“Some days she gained weight, some days she lost it. We would celebrate one moment and cry the next,” she said.
Bit by bit, the little fighter pushed forward. By February, she weighed 700 grammes. Doctors introduced Ms Mhlanga to kangaroo care — holding her daughter against her chest to help her grow and bond.
“It was beautiful and it felt like I was lending her my own strength,” she said.
Then came the day they had long prayed for. At 1 810 grammes, Christwish was strong enough to go home.
Today, she is thriving — sitting, crawling and hitting her milestones. Incredibly, Ms Mhlanga says her daughter has not fallen sick once since leaving the hospital.
“I thank God for this miracle and for the doctors and nurses at UBH who cared for us like family,” she said.
UBH paediatric specialist consultant, Dr Nyashadzashe Chasauka, said the medical team had faced enormous challenges.
“Her weight made everything complicated. Her lungs were immature, and we did not have the ideal medication for her breathing,” he said.
“She was also anaemic, so we had to transfuse blood. Because her skin was so delicate, we used oral medication instead of injections.”
Christwish was discharged on nutritional supplements to help with her development and blood formation.
Dr Chasauka said that while UBH routinely handles pre-term cases, this one stood out.
“The smaller the baby, the higher the risks. Cases like hers are rare,” he said. He credited the survival to the dedication of their entire paediatric team.
From a fragile, 405-gramme newborn to a lively, healthy 11-month-old, Christwish’s journey is nothing short of a story of resilience — a tiny miracle who refused to give up.
