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Altus needs wheels 11 November 2016
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Altus is turning five in February and all he wants for his birthday is a Ferrari outfit. “I’m gonna race at Nascar when I’m big and I’m gonna be so fast you won’t even see me cross the finish line.” The upbeat toddler sat on his mother’s lap as we spoke about Spina Bifida Myelomeningocele Hydrocephalus, the debilitating condition he was born with. Spina Bifida, literally means “split spine” and occurs during the first few weeks of pregnancy. The nervous system is formed from the outer skin of the embryo, which, in normal devel-
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opment closes over it completely. In Altus’ case that did not happen, which resulted in part of his nervous system remaining on the outside of his body.
t I’m gonna race a big Nascar when I’m so and I’m gonna be en see v e ’t n o w u o y t s fa h line. me cross the finis
Spina Bifida affects less than one in every 1 000 children and its cause is largely unknown to the medical profession. The condition causes paralyses, among
Mediclinic Tzaneen • 015 306 0098 • www.afrirad.co.za
other serious impediments. “The doctors here did not pick up on the defect while I was pregnant,” explained mom Maryke Pelser. “During my 4D scan at 20 weeks, the doctor said that the reason Altus was not moving his legs was because he was a big baby and there was not enough room in the womb for him to stretch.” Needless to say there were a lot of complications when Altus was born. “I only saw my child for five minutes after he was born before he was rushed off for emergency surgery. He had this blood sack protruding from his lower back which had to be operated on in Mediclinic Polokwane. They also inserted a shunt to help with draining the fluid off his brain. It was absolutely terrifying to say the least.” It has not been an easy five years for the single mom who has had to rely on the help of her family to raise Altus. Because of his special needs he requires a lot of attention and the mounting medical bills have exhausted their medical aid. The family spends more than R3 000 a month on special plasters for the wound on his back and the little boy is permanently in diapers. A special “car” called a ZipZack was donated to him which he uses to move around the house. “We have now come to the point where Altus is ready to move over to a wheelchair. Our doctor explained that he will need three different wheelchairs over the course of his lifetime and this first one will
Continue reading about Altus and his wheels on page 3.
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