Durban: Two parents, grieving the loss of their daughters to Covid-19, believe schools in KwaZulu-Natal should close until the infections are reduced.
Karishma Pillay's daughter, Kaitlyn, 12, died on Saturday, and Sagel Balsarang's daughter, Shanika, 9, earlier this month.
Pillay, of Phoenix, said: "Covid is real. You don't realise it until it hits home. There is a clear hike in the infection rate and schools should rather close and send the work home. Which would you choose – losing a year of education or losing your child forever? The teachers' lives are also at risk."
Balsarang, of Ladysmith, added: "We are living in uncertain times. Even though a person can contract the virus from anywhere, my advice to parents is to keep their children at home and avoid going out unnecessarily… Parents must also remember to cherish every moment spent with their children."
Kaitlyn was a Grade 7 pupil at Wembley Primary. She died in her home three days after she tested positive for the virus.
Her mom said: "I still recall begging her to keep fighting before she took her last breath… but she was too weak."
Pillay said that despite Kaitlyn being asthmatic since she was six, her daughter was in good health.
"On Friday (August 6), she went to school and that weekend, she had a runny tummy. On Monday (August 9), my younger daughter, Deana, turned seven, so we decided to celebrate at Gateway. As we got out of the car, Kaitlyn said 'Mummy please wait. I don't think I can make it, I want to go home', and so we did."
Last Tuesday, Kaitlyn had a fever and struggled to get out of bed.
"I managed to take her to a doctor for medication and an injection, and she seemed better. But to be safe, we decided to take her for a Covid test the following day. Her result was positive."
Over the next two days, Kaitlyn seemed okay but her health took a turn on Friday evening.
"After she came out of the bath, she told my husband and me that she could not breathe. We rushed her to the nearest clinic. She was assessed and the staff asked if she could be transferred to a hospital but Kaitlyn said she would be fine and that she wanted to go home.
"On Saturday morning, she said she felt better. I fed her porridge and gave her her medication and a hot water bottle. At lunchtime, I gave her a bath and combed her hair. I fed her a bit of stew and gave her meds. Then she said: 'Mummy, my legs are feeling weak.' She fell onto the sofa and closed her eyes. I begged her to keep fighting and she cried, saying: 'Mummy, I can't'."
Pillay called her husband, who was at work at the time, and thereafter the paramedics.
"They tried to resuscitate her but she was gone. It was the most heartbreaking moment knowing your child is no more."
Kaitlyn's funeral was at her home on Sunday and it proceeded to the Verulam Crematorium.
Pillay said other than school, her daughter never mingled with other children during the pandemic. She said Kaitlyn was humble, respectful and shy.
"She never said a harsh word to anyone. Kaitlyn was not only my baby but my friend and confidante. We shared a bond like no other. She loved to read and Snapchat. I think her happiest day was when I bought her a cellphone in July. She said it was all she ever wanted."
On September 7, Kaitlyn would have turned 13 but she did not want a party.
"She loved doing her hair and nails and that was her only request. She was excited about her birthday and she looked forward to entering high school next year. Kaitlyn often checked if I sorted out her registration. She was intent on going to Havenpark Secondary."
Pillay, her husband and her daughter have not shown signs of the virus but they have decided to quarantine.
For her 10th birthday in November, Shanika's asked her parents for real fairy wings and fairy dust. "And our baby's wish was granted. Her wings were ready, but our hearts were not,” said Balsarang.
Shanika of Ladysmith, a Grade 4 learner at Acaciavale Primary School, died two days after she was admitted to hospital with Covid-19.
“No parent should have to go through this pain. We have so many memories with our baby and it gets difficult every day as we try to come to terms with the fact that she will never come home, we will never watch her grow up and go through her journey with her. We are broken."
The couple, Shanika and her paternal grandmother tested positive for the virus in July.
“My mom woke up one morning with a temperature. We wanted to take her to the doctor but most of the GPs were closed. We went to our local clinic and we all got tested. The results were positive.
“Shanika was the strongest among us. Other than an intermittent cough, she did not have other symptoms. We, on the other hand, could barely get out of bed."
During that time, Shanika took care of the family.
“At just nine years old, our baby was so responsible. She prepared sandwiches and something for us to drink. She would leave it in the kitchen while she sat in the lounge and reminded us to take our medication. While she was the strongest, we often monitored her oxygen levels."
He said that after the family completed isolating, his wife, Haylie, and Shanika began to feel tired.
"One morning, Shanika complained that she had stomach pains and she and my wife had breathing difficulties. I took them to the clinic to get oxygen but they were admitted to a private hospital later that day."
Mom and daughter were initially side by side in the intensive care unit but Haylie showed signs of improvement the following day. She was moved to a general Covid ward. Shanika's health, however, deteriorated and she was put on a ventilator. She died on August 1.
Balsarang said his daughter often spoke about becoming a doctor or a teacher.
“She never said why she chose those fields but we knew she was destined to choose a path where she would help people. Shanika was always there if you needed her and she shared what she had with others. She had a big heart.
“My daughter was also the baby of the family, and everyone had a special name for her. She was her grandmother’s diamond, her mom's lollipop and she was my fairy princess. For her birthday, she said she wanted real fairy wings and fairy dust, which she would sprinkle over us and make a wish that we would always be happy. She now has her wings.”
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