THANKS, SIS - I'M FINALLY A FATHER

After several surrogate disappointments and let-downs, Vusis sister stepped in to give him his greatest gift

-  CYRIL BLACKBURN 

THE exact time and date will forever be etched in his memory: 6.04pm on 12 August 2022 - the moment he became a father and could finally put the heartache of the past decade behind him.

His son, Manoah Jayden, is the greatest gift he's ever received, Vusidiva Nxumalo says, gazing down at his tiny son. And his existence wouldn't have been possible without the selfless sacrifice of his sister, Tsakani (32).

She had always vowed she wouldn't carry another child. When she was pregnant with her son, Jayden (8), she was horribly ill and didn't ever want to put her body through that again.

But seeing her brother with her child helped her change her mind.

"Vusi was such a wonderful uncle to my son and he had a burning desire to become a father.

"I realised these things are bigger than just myself. I was able to give him what he has been wanting for so many years.

Tsakani stepped in as a gestational surrogate for Vusi (41) after he'd been through years of surrogacy experiences that had all ended in failure and disappointment.

Her gift is a beautiful little boy with curious eyes and a cry that ensures he's always the centre of attention.

"Smile for the uncle," Vusi says when his son starts to moan during our visit at his home in Northriding, Johannesburg. "Show him how cute you are! Never mind, you're always cute, even when you cry."

He'll forever be grateful to his sister, Vusi tells us. Tsakani selflessly put her body on the line again - and although this pregnancy was even harder than her first and she was plagued by nausea and exhaustion, the result was well worth it, she says.

Her brother's struggle to become a dad had moved her, she adds. "I could see he was mourning. He was depressed and avoiding his loved ones. When I asked him about it one day, I realised that even those closest to him could only see the tip of the iceberg of his troubles.