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| Zaka Kely and his mother, Fiv. Photo: Beeld |
A South African family has given a Madagascan youngster a chance for a better life. Jacques Razafindranovona (aka Zaka Kely) is 15 and lives in Andranovoly. He suffered burns to 65% of his body in an accident last year. Helene van Rhyn of Johannesburg and her son, Jacques (17), heard about him in May when they received an e-mail from Australiam missionaries. Jacques is a volunteer with the South African charity,
Children of Fire. Zaka had not received medical attention for eight months, as his family cannot afford it. His wounds were still raw and he had a severe infection. Helene's father. Dr. Fana Malherbe, is a retired plastic surgeon in Stellenbosch. He arranged that Zaka's wounds were cleaned in the military hospital in Antananarivo. The Van Rhyn family brought Zaka to South Africa, where the provincial hospital in Stellenbosch took him in. A travel agent arranged for discounted business class tickets for Zaka and his mother, Fiv. Dr. Malherbe and a colleague did a skin transplant, and a successful result is expected.
