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Leonard Ncube Victoria Falls Reporter
A HWANGE schoolboy who successfully underwent heart surgery in India after the community chipped in with funds, was yesterday given a hero’s welcome when he returned home.
There was jubilation as a group of people, including members of the Hillary Nyathi Medical Fund and school heads, welcomed the 14-year-old Lwendulu United Primary School Grade Seven pupil and his mother, Ustancia Wakumelo, at the Victoria Falls International Airport.
The fund is named after the schoolboy.
Hillary’s schooling had been affected as he had to be hospitalised for lengthy periods since he was a toddler.
Around $10,000 was needed for the operation only and the Hillary Nyathi Medical Fund raised that amount, mostly from Hwange schools.
World Vision provided $8,500 to cater for air tickets, food, accommodation and other expenses.
Others such as Zimta, Hwange Colliery and Hwange residents also contributed, but the amounts could not be ascertained immediately. The boy’s mother said her son’s life had been saved by “Angels”.
Hwange West District Administrator Tapera Mugoriya led the group of people who included school heads from some schools in Hwange to welcome the boy.
Hillary and his mother were in India for 21 days and he was operated on May 21 at the Artemis Health Institute Gurgaon in the Asian country.
The operation involved closing a hole in the boy’s heart and enlarging two veins as he also had a problem that affected his blood circulation.
Wakumelo said her son’s heart condition began when he was 18 months old.
“For 13 years we hopelessly watched him suffer from this condition and today we have to thank these people who came to our help. They’re Angels. When we got to India, doctors said his condition was critical and he needed God’s intervention for an eight-hour operation. However, they were done after four hours and they kept him as they monitored his recovery of which I’m happy that he is well now,” said the boy’s mother.
Lwendulu headmistress, Virginia Ncube said Hillary was “always” reserved at school.
“He was unfriendly and we noticed that he had difficulty in breathing and could hardly walk most of the time. That is when we raised alarm and we’re grateful to the response and love by the community and other schools,” she said.
The fund secretary, Never Nyahunzvi said they established the fund in response to the dire condition of the boy.
“We met as a community after getting the news about Hillary and formed a committee which started fundraising. We started with an awareness campaign in Hwange as we introduced our campaign to residents,” he said.
“We managed to convince the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to allow all schools to hold Civvies Day on the same day and managed to raise $15,000. World Vision chipped in with other expenses.”
Ronald Nyoni, the fund vice chairperson said they would continue supporting the boy so that he goes for check-ups and ultimately returns to class once he recovers.
The DA applauded the community for starting the fund and pledged his support to make sure they develop it into a trust.
“We’re humbled by this and the transparency you exercised in handling these funds. We will give you the necessary support to make this a Trust so that you can change people’s lives since that is government’s vision through its Zim-Asset programmes,” Mugoriya said.
The fund members will soon start another campaign to send another child, Gugulethu Sibanda, a Form Five pupil at Maranatha High School in Bulawayo, to India as she has a similar medical condition.
Online Reporter