Western Cape girl fights rare condition
By Khanyisa Tabata
15 November 2009
A young girl from Robertson hopes to go to the United States soon for medical treatment after being diagnosed with a rare disease.
Lihanda Smit was five when she was hit by a drunk driver 14 years ago. She has had to undergo several brain operations.
Her condition, superficial sideroses, developed because undetected bleeding on the brain caused a build-up of iron which suppressed her nervous system.
Without treatment her hearing will fail and she will end up in a wheel chair, with a life expectancy of around 10 years.
It is such a rare condition that no South African neurologist knows enough about it.
Her parents are raising funds for treatment by a neurologist in Baltimore.
15 November 2009
A young girl from Robertson hopes to go to the United States soon for medical treatment after being diagnosed with a rare disease.
Lihanda Smit was five when she was hit by a drunk driver 14 years ago. She has had to undergo several brain operations.
Her condition, superficial sideroses, developed because undetected bleeding on the brain caused a build-up of iron which suppressed her nervous system.
Without treatment her hearing will fail and she will end up in a wheel chair, with a life expectancy of around 10 years.
It is such a rare condition that no South African neurologist knows enough about it.
Her parents are raising funds for treatment by a neurologist in Baltimore.
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