Baby Micaylin Bock reportedly died at the Universitas Academic Hospital on Friday night, four months after she was born in the Northern Cape and then transferred to the Bloemfontein hospital.

OFM News previously  spoke to the infant’s mother, Hillmarié Sune Bock, who explained that her new-born underwent surgery to correct a birth defect known as Gastroschisis, in which a baby is born with their intestines outside their body.

But thereafter the baby developed a post-surgery infection, which was attributed to the development of a small hole in her intestines during the surgery.

At the time, Hillmarié Sune was optimistic her little one would recover despite the challenge of them being over 9 hours from their home. 

Hillmarié says this has been a difficult time for her, but it gets better. She urged other parents going through a similar struggle to place their faith in God.

The ordeal for the Bock family came after the Smile Foundation revealed it is upping psychosocial support for the parents of children living with facial abnormalities, who are undergoing reconstructive surgery in different parts of the country in 2021.

The organisation has introduced a support group for parents known as ‘Cleft Friends’ which aims to have mothers speak on their respective experiences caring for children with facial abnormalities and possibly help others in the process.

In early March, 22 minors underwent reconstructive surgery at the Universitas Academic Hospital. The procedures included cleft and palate reconstruction, craniofacial surgery as well as ear and nose reconstructive surgeries.

OFM News