BLOEMFONTEIN – Parents of children born prematurely felt tears of joy and relief rolling down their cheeks at the celebration of World Prematurity Day at Bloemfontein’s Life Rosepark Hospital on Monday 17 November. The hospital hosted a special occasion dedicated to connection, hope and community for parents of premature babies (preemies) − infants born before 37 weeks of pregnancy.
This was under the theme “Let’s celebrate our little fighters and the strength of every parent who walks this journey”. World Prematurity Day aims at raising worldwide awareness of preterm birth and the concerns of preterm babies and their families.
Parents of preemies in attendance expressed words of great gratitude to the hospital’s team led by Dr Hennie Snyman, paediatrician, and Dr Gerrit van der Spoel, obstetrician and gynaecologist, who − together with the nursing team − ensured these preemies’ survival in good health.
The preemies included those born in 2023, 2024, and this year.
Joyous parents celebrated the miracle of witnessing their preemies growing up into full human beings − they attest to the joy of hearing them call out “Mommy” and “Papa” or “Daddy”.
Also read: Tiny fighters: How the Western Cape is giving premature babies their best shot at life
The day’s highlight was identical twin brothers King and Kingston Pebane, who were celebrated fondly on World Prematurity Day with the official launch of a foundation named after the two-year-olds: the King and Kingston Miracle Foundation. This marked the brothers’ second birthday.
The boys were born prematurely on 13 October, 2023, to Karabelo and Tshegofatso Pebane, with their initial due date being 19 January 2024.
The fact that King and Kingston survived their birth and pulled through is considered a miracle. Due to their prematurity − especially their birth weights − the twins were attached to a ventilator for 17 days at the hospital. At birth, King weighed 490g and Kingston 430g. When discharged on 19 January 2024, from the hospital, King’s weight was 2 100g (2,1kg) and Kingston weighed 1 805g (1,8kg).
They are reportedly the smallest premature babies (under 500g) to have been cared for at the hospital. They spent 26 weeks in the neonatal intensive care unit.
To the delighted Pebane couple, the recovery of their twins remains an amazing story. They were discharged without any medical complications, earning them the title of “Miracle Twins”.
Karabelo explained that the idea of the foundation marked the celebration of the gift of life whilst striving to inspire other parents who gave birth to preemies, to raise awareness about preemies.
Snyman said the twins were the second case of exceptionally small preemies he has dealt with in his medical profession. The first case was that of a girl who is now 11 years old and attending school in Bloemfontein.
According to recent findings, South Africa ranks 24th out of 184 countries with a high number of newborn deaths around the world due to complications from preterm birth.
According to South Africa’s Department of Health, prematurity is a leading cause of neonatal death, with a significant portion of preterm infants not surviving, and progress in reducing the rate of preterm births has stagnated over the past decade.
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