A five-year-old girl who sustained horrific burns to her body last year will undergo the same high-tech skin transplant as Pippie Kruger, thanks to a donation from her foundation.
Celiwe Maseko's dress caught alight when a burning match fell on it, and she suffered burns to her back, stomach and thighs.
"I didn't think there was any hope," said her mother Katlego Maseko.
The "Pippie's Gesiggie" Foundation said it would pay R240,600 for Celiwe's new skin, which, just like Pippie's, will be grown in a laboratory by Genzyme in Boston, Massachusetts.
Dr Ridwan Mia, Pippie Kruger's surgeon, and also Celiwe Maseko's doctor, said the surface area of burns was much larger with Pippie.
"One would think I'm less nervous, because I've already performed this operation once. In fact I'm more nervous than ever," Mia said.
Initially, two samples of Celiwe's skin will be sent to the USA to be cultivated.
Three-year old burn victim Pippie Kruger underwent her groundbreaking skin graft in June 2012, just six months after her accident, when cloned skin was transplanted onto her body. She has survived five heart attacks, kidney failure, pneumonia and over 45 operations.
Burn victim helped by donation
A five-year-old girl who sustained horrific burns to her body last year will undergo the same high-tech skin transplant as Pippie Kruger, thanks to a donation from her foundation.
Celiwe Maseko's dress caught alight when a burning match fell on it, and she suffered burns to her back, stomach and thighs.
"I didn't think there was any hope," said her mother Katlego Maseko.
The "Pippie's Gesiggie" Foundation said it would pay R240,600 for Celiwe's new skin, which, just like Pippie's, will be grown in a laboratory by Genzyme in Boston, Massachusetts.
Dr Ridwan Mia, Pippie Kruger's surgeon, and also Celiwe Maseko's doctor, said the surface area of burns was much larger with Pippie.
"One would think I'm less nervous, because I've already performed this operation once. In fact I'm more nervous than ever," Mia said.
Initially, two samples of Celiwe's skin will be sent to the USA to be cultivated.
Three-year old burn victim Pippie Kruger underwent her groundbreaking skin graft in June 2012, just six months after her accident, when cloned skin was transplanted onto her body. She has survived five heart attacks, kidney failure, pneumonia and over 45 operations.
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