Meet Chenille Nimrod, a Six-year-old Girl Who Became the First Child to Receive Much-needed Heart Surgery

Meet Chenille Nimrod, a six-year-old girl who became the first child to receive the much-needed heart surgery.

The Eastern Cape born is today a happy child living a normal life because of a partnership Busamed Private Hospital has with Pelo Foundation, an organization that raises funds for children with Congenital Heart Diseases (CHD) to receive surgeries and treatments.

Chenille who has been on the heart surgery waiting list since 2018, was operated on to repair the hole in her heart by a team at Busamed Paardevlei Hospital led by Dr Michael Janson.
“I am pleased that we have managed to successfully conduct the surgery since it was the first child to be operated on under this project. Our aim is to assist as many children as we can should we immediately get the financial injection,” said Dr Janson.

Pelo Foundation, an NPO raising funds awareness and funds to save babies who are in dire need of heart surgeries and treatments in South Africa.

Chenille’s mother, Natasha Nimrod is happy that her daughter finally received the surgery and is living a normal life.

“My child is healthy now. She has been waiting for since 2018. So far she is well and looks better. I would like to thank everyone, the wonderful doctors, caring staff members at Busamed Hospital and everyone else who made this operation a success.”

Due to the burden of the disease in South Africa and the magnitude of the problem, Pelo Foundation was launched to help to save children who are in serious need of heart surgery and related treatment in South Africa.

Dr Janson said, “Normally children can be on the waiting list for about two years. I hope that there would be many entities that will come up and collaborate so that we assist these children.”

Chenille is one of the 200 children who have been placed on the heart treatment’s waiting list for many years by the Eastern Cape provincial government.

Pelo Foundation continues to raise awareness concerning the plight of children in need of CHD treatment and intervention.