Surgeon thanks South Africans for donating towards surgery of Zim boy mauled by hyena

Johannesburg – World-renowned plastic surgeon Ridwan Mia has expressed gratitude to South Africans for donations and prayers to ensure Rodwell Nkomozana is able to smile again after his face was damaged in a hyena attack.

In an interview with The Star, Mia said several procedures would be done in reconstructing the 9-year-old’s face, including getting him a prosthetic eye.

Rodwell suffered major damage to his face when attacked by a hyena while attending a religious ceremony. The surgery will also include repairs to his checks, lips and nose.

“When I first got the call about the child injured in Zim, I asked them to send me a photograph before any doctor saw him. I said to myself this is not right, so I am happy that I can be included to help this child,” Mia said.

Also known as “Dr Fix It”, Mia said he was grateful to those who sent donations to cover the costs of the surgery, which was likely to run into the millions. Many doctors and specialists had also offered to help with the surgery free of charge.

“Let’s continue in the spirit of Ubuntu that people have shown towards Rodwell and some of our patients. It’s good that we’re showing this spirit of generosity to a child from a neighbouring country, and I thank you for the prayers and support. I’m humbled to see people bending to make this child’s future a bright one.”

Mia added that the initial assessment had been conducted, and Rodwell was in good spirits. Over the weekend doctors would begin bone work as part of a series of surgeries. With the threat of Covid-19 in mind, doctors said they were taking extra precautions to protect Rodwell and his mother.

“We’re all nervous, but we’re nervous because this child has had severe injuries and has lost a lot of important structures in the middle of his face, so the reconstruction will include many stages of surgery. We have a daunting task ahead.

“In terms of surgery, we have to exercise our protocols in the ward to ensure we don’t expose the mother and the patient to other patients and to other dangers in the hospital, so we have been very careful,” Mia said.

The Star