Life-changing surgeries for 12 kids

Yalankosi Cosa's life is about to change for the better as she will be able to play with her peers without being teased for her disability.

Four-year-old Yalankosi is one of the 12 children who will be operated on at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital in Soweto today through the Smile Foundation.

Her aunt, Thabisa Cosa, said Yalankosi was born a normal kid but when she was two years old, she got burnt and the incident badly affected her arm.

"Her life has never been the same since then as she could not use her arm and did not have balance.

"She has been called a lot of names by her peers. At times they would say, 'nank' ungalwana [loosely translated, here comes the one with a disabled arm], we don't want to play with her because she will fall'," Cosa said.

She said it hurt to see her niece playing with children younger than her because her peers were teasing her.

"Her mother died last year and she has been staying with me since then. I was worried that next year she will have to start Grade R but my main concern was her being teased by other school kids. I heard about Smile Foundation in August and I submitted my application because I am unemployed and could not afford to pay for her operation.

"I was already losing hope when weeks passed without hearing from them. I could not believe when I got a call from them, saying Yala will be among the children who will be operated on this week," Cosa said.

Another parent Seipati Nvuinande, said her twin girls, who are now 10 months old, were born with cleft palates.

"My other twin daughter was operated on in July and it will be Amohelang's turn to be operated on tomorrow. I am very excited because she could not eat properly. I can't wait for my girls to lead a normal life like other children," she said.

Moira Gerszt, the operations executive director of the Smile Foundation, said: "We are so humbled that these children may have life-changing surgeries. This will enable them to lead a life accepted by their peers and accepted in the communities in which they live."