Young Benoni !Oxurus Bravely Faces Health Challenges in Kalkrand

Kalkrand, Namibia – At just 12 years old, Benoni !Oxurus from Kalkrand faces a life markedly different from her peers due to a serious medical condition. Since the age of nine, Benoni has been battling a debilitating illness that started as a rash on her upper lip and has since required multiple surgeries, drastically altering her appearance and daily life.

According to Namibia Press Agency, Deline !Oxurus, speaking to Nampa recently, the ordeal began on 17 December 2019. After initial treatment at a local clinic failed to improve her condition, Benoni was referred to the Mariental District Hospital. Her situation worsened over five months, spreading to her mouth and nose area, leading to her first surgery at the Katutura Intermediate Hospital in Windhoek on 20 June 2020. Doctors attributed the rash to a spider bite and performed a resection of infected tissues.

Since June 2020, Benoni has undergone five operations, the most recent on 06 April 2023. These surgeries have left her with a significantly altered facial appearance, impacting her ability to eat normally and interact socially. As a result, she feeds on soft foods and has faced difficulties at school, leading to her departure in 2022 while in Grade 5. “The child can’t eat properly. She can’t open her mouth and she only eats soft food such as soup and instant porridge,” her mother said.

Benoni’s current health passport indicates her last hospital admission was on 16 October 2023 at Katutura State Hospital, diagnosed with mucormycosis, a rare and serious fungal infection with a high fatality rate. Despite these challenges, Benoni remains hopeful for her scheduled surgery in South Africa, which has been delayed. Her mother has reached out to the Ministry of Health and Social Services, seeking urgent attention for her daughter’s treatment.

Deline, an unemployed mother of six, relies on a government grant for survival. She expressed frustration with the lack of proactive communication from the state hospital regarding Benoni’s treatment. While waiting for the operation in South Africa, Benoni keeps herself occupied with drawing and writing at home, though her condition has also affected her voice and eating pace.

Efforts to obtain a comment from Katutura State Hospital regarding Benoni’s case were not successful as queries sent to the Superintendent remained unanswered at the time of this report.