The family of Britney Stone (7), a vibrant and bright-minded girl from Patensie who was born with sacral agenesis, a very rare spinal defect which has left her wheelchair bound, is hopeful that she will receive the necessary medical intervention she needs, when she is assessed at Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital in Cape Town in October.
When Britney was born, on January 17, 2015, at Greenacres Hospital in Gqeberha, her parents, Bertramhugo Tobie and Charmaine Stone, learnt that their only child’s spine had not fully developed and that she had a very rare spinal defect.
As a result of her medical condition, her legs were not fully formed.
Britney’s father, Bertramhugo, said that despite her medical condition, they continued to hope for medical intervention because they wanted the best for her.
However, when a doctor recommended that both her legs be amputated before her first birthday and she be fitted for prosthetic legs, her parents decided against the operation.
Bertramhugo said they were against the amputation because even though she would have prosthetic legs she still would not be able to walk since her condition affected her spine.
“We were surprised by the doctor’s recommendation, but we decided against it because the amputation would not change her condition,” said Bertramhugo.
When Britney was two years old, they began physiotherapy at the local clinic but unfortunately stopped attending the sessions because the physiotherapist was rarely there on the days she was scheduled for her sessions.
Bertramhugo said in 2020, while Britney attended school at Itembeni Crèche in Patensie, a social worker and a representative from the Department of Education visited her and recommended she start attending school at Patensie Primary School while they waited for confirmation for her to be sent to Merryvale School for Specialised Education in Gqeberha.
Thankfully, just one month after she began her primary school education at Patensie Primary, she was accepted at Merryvale in February this year where she receives regular physiotherapy.
Britney has continued to stay at the school’s boarding house and travels home biweekly.
“From the first day she joined Merryvale, she fitted right in and enjoys her time at the school,” said Bertramhugo.
In May this year, Britney was evaluated by Dr Denise Potgieter, a paediatric orthopaedic surgeon, who visits the school twice a year.
After completing her evaluation, she referred her to the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital in Cape Town, where she will be seen by the medical specialist on October 26, for an assessment and planning of medical intervention.
Bertramhugo said the doctor is worried that as she continues to grow, her condition will worsen and he is therefore hopeful that the assessment will help with her condition.
“Britney is a very busy girl, but I often worry that she might get hurt while playing with her friends,” he said.
In addition to the concerns about her condition, Bertramhugo, who is a seasonal worker at Patensie Citrus, is also concerned that once the citrus season is over in the next three weeks, he will be without an income and will not be able to afford Britney’s school fees and her travel expenses to Cape Town next month.
“I want to make sure that she receives the education that she deserves but because I will be without an income soon, I worry about her education. I do not want to be the reason why she does not receive an education,” said Bertramhugo. I am also worried about the added expenses for her trip to Cape Town.”
Apart from her physical condition, Bertramhugo said Britney had no issues with the functioning of her brain, and that she is a vibrant little girl.
“Her condition does not stop her from enjoying life and playing as much as she likes,” he said.
- For more information, or to contribute towards her school fees or her trip to Cape Town, contact Bertramhugo Tobie on 062 727 4481.
