Little Tyler with mom Nikita
By Megan Baadjies
June 2 2011 http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/western-cape/babies-die-after-vaccinations-1.1077520
Little Tyler with mom Nikita
A Cape Flats community is shocked and enraged after the sudden mysterious death of two infants.
Manenberg residents say the three-month-old babies died within a few hours of each other after receiving their routine vaccination injections at the local clinic.
Hajiera Liewenberg, 23, who was with mom Nikita Le Grange, 20, at the Manenberg Day Clinic on Wednesday, says 14-week-old baby Tyler died in his sleep.
“When she brought him for his three-month shot this morning, he was fine.
“Then he fell asleep here at the hospital and when she went home, she put him to bed,” Hajiera explains.
“When she went to check on him, she saw that his face was blue and then her aunt rushed back to hospital with Tyler.”
Hajiera says doctors tried to save the infant but it was already too late.
Tyler’s godmother, Natasha Payne, says she arrived at the clinic after hearing about Tyler’s death and moments later a second mother rushed in with her five-month-old child.
“We were sitting in the waiting room and I saw the (second) mother leave. Then minutes later, the same woman rushed back after her child also turned blue,” says Natasha.
As news of the two deaths quickly spread through the community, other mothers and grandmothers had growing concerns about the safety of their own little ones.
Late on Wednesday afternoon, scores of concerned and angry residents gathered outside the Manenberg clinic demanding answers.
Resident Lillian Pearce says she’s concerned about her six- week-old grandchild who’s due for his injection today.
“My grandson is a few weeks old and he’s due for his injection but what are we supposed to do now?” she says.
“No one is telling us anything and we can’t trust that the same’s not going to happen again.”
It’s still not clear what caused the infants’ deaths, but police spokesman November Filander says:”I can confirm two kids passed away, a boy and a girl. The causes of their death is still not known but police have opened up an inquest docket at Manenberg Police Station.” - Daily Voice