Jeffreys Bay mother, Tunita Brits, is fighting to breathe normally again after years of suffering from severe nasal complications that have dramatically impacted her quality of life.
She is now reaching out to the community through a BackaBuddy campaign to fund essential reconstructive surgery.
Brits explained that she first noticed the growth in her nose during her childhood years.
However, it wasn’t until she reached her 20s that she finally underwent surgery to have it removed.
Unfortunately, her relief was short-lived.
Although the growth did not reappear, her nasal passages became blocked again just six months after the procedure.
“After my nose was blocked again, I decided to just live with it because the thought of going through that surgery again was unbearable. It always bothered me, but once I had kids, it felt impossible to find the time for another major surgery. Between looking after them and juggling daily life, it just never seemed like the right time,” said Brits.
She explained that although she had accepted her condition for many years, she recently experienced a significant change that left her with no alternative but to seek a medical examination of her nose.
“I’m constantly short of breath, struggling to breathe, and feeling frustrated and exhausted. I’m not getting quality sleep, which makes me grumpy and irritable, which is not ideal for me or my kids. The daily facial discomfort doesn’t help either, and honestly, there are times when I’m just snappy and not my best self. It’s been tough, and I just want to feel normal again, because emotionally I am just down and not feeling myself at all,” said Brits.
After going through the lengthy process of meeting with multiple doctors, she learnt that the growth was no longer there, but that her entire nasal bone structure was misaligned, completely blocking her airways.
Brits said that she was informed that the misalignment was likely caused by her previous surgery.
After meeting with Dr Sarel van Staden in George, she was referred to Dr Cameron McIntosh, based at Edge Day Hospital in Gqeberha.
According to the Edge Day Hospital website, McIntosh is a rhinoplasty and otolaryngology specialist.
Brits said that meeting McIntosh and his colleagues was an amazing experience as they explained everything to her in full detail.
“All this time I was thinking that only one side was blocked, but it’s apparently both sides. I will have total reconstruction of the nose including reconstruction of my nasal septum and my nasal pyramid. Then there is plastic surgery involved to also make sure that the aesthetics of my nose are nice and that my nose is not so skewed anymore. I still have to live with this nose, so it somewhat has to look okay,” said Brits.
Since she lacks both medical aid and the enormous funds needed for the surgery, she has established a BackaBuddy campaign titled, “Please help me breathe again, urgent surgery needed”.
“Most people will probably be surprised when they learn about these difficulties that I struggle with daily, as I simply always try and keep it together. However, I found myself in a place and space where I simply don’t even have the energy to keep it together anymore,” said Brits.
“My quality of life is not great at the moment and that’s why I started my campaign to reach out to people for help. So that I can simply live a full life with my kids.”
Brits said that after the surgery she will be able to breathe properly which will be a big change in her everyday life.
“It will be life-changing for me to simply be able to breathe properly through my nose. It will make life easier. I might want to even start exercising as it’s a struggle for me now, and finally I will get a good night’s rest,” said Brits.
For more information contact Tunita Brits at 071 589 2366 or visit the BackaBuddy website.
