Rodwell Khomazana being wheeled into hospital

-Naadiya Adams

One of South Africa’s top plastic surgeons has undertaken to re-construct the face of a boy mauled by a hyena in Zimbabwe.

Last month, while attending an evening church gathering, nine-year old Rodwell Khomazana was attacked by a hyena. The young boy lost his nose, left eye, most of his upper lip, bits of his forehead and other parts of his face.

According to AFP, Harare doctors did what they could to help the boy, but the damage to his face was too severe and they lacked the resources to do any kind of reconstructive work.

Without the financial resources to help her son, Khomazana’s mother opted to make a plea with medics in South Africa, who agreed to do the surgery free of charge.

Plastic surgeon Ridwan Mia told AFP earlier this week, when he heard about what had happened he just could not say no.

Khomazana flew to Johannesburg on Saturday and was admitted to Sandton Mediclinic. On arrival the nine year old was greeted by hospital staff singing South Africa’s national anthem, clapping and cheering. Covered in bandages and sporting a green hoodie, the boy was wheeled into the hospital.

A nine year old boy Rodwell Khomazana who was attacked by Hyena outside Harare Zimbabwe has arrived at Mediclinic in Sandton Johannesburg South Africa for reconstructive surgery. #sabcnews pic.twitter.com/MCcOtnKJKi

— Sophie Mokoena (@Sophie_Mokoena) June 19, 2021

Mia and his team of medical experts will undertake to perform an exploratory surgery on Monday a mere prelude to the complex operation which is expected to last around 20 hours.

They will have to do a great deal of skin grafting and will use tissue from other parts of his body to do the procedure. His jaw, nose, mouth and cheeks will all be reconstructed and he will also be fitted with a prostatic eye. “Unfortunately he will have multiple scars on his face,” said Mia.

While Mia warned that Khomazana will never have a completely normal face, he said “we want to give him something that will at least allow him to be functional and enjoy the things that other kids do.”

The surgeries will take place over a month and with the help of donations the costs of Khomazama’s hospitalisation will be covered. According to Mia, any remaining donations would be used for therapy and trauma counselling, mentioning that the new eye will be a transition for him.

Doctors hope the child will eventually “feel like a normal boy again”, Mia said. “Unfortunately the harsh reality is we are dealing with a huge injury.”