HELP 5 YEAR OLD NIA BREATHE, SLEEP AND GROW AGAIN!

Meet Nia Pofadder - 5 years old.

Nia is a bright, loving little girl from Upington. Since her first documented episode in 2023, she has been suffering from chronic recurrent tonsillitis with tonsillar hypertrophy, obstructive symptoms, allergic rhinitis and chronic sinusitis.

In simple words: Nia's tonsils are severely enlarged and constantly infected. They block her airway, making it hard for her to breathe, sleep, eat and be a child.

Her medical journey has been long and painful:

Nia was first assessed at Dr Harry Surtie Hospital in Upington and was urgently referred to the Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) specialists at Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe Hospital in Kimberley for surgery.

But due to no patient transport and very long surgical waiting lists, she has missed her ENT appointments repeatedly. She has never received the specialist surgery she was referred for.

As a direct result of the long delay, Nia now presents with faltering growth and appears chronically ill. Her repeated infections have forced her to complete many courses of antibiotics, whi...