‘Amazing' Grace saved

»» Able to crawl and laughed for first time after the procedure, says carer.

Baby Grace, who was found abandoned in rubble on a building site last year, has laughed for the first time and is starting to crawl after having grommets to help resolve her hearing difficulties.

"Grace was named by the Netcare Pretoria East Hospital team who treated her when she was found on a cold and rainy day by a construction worker, crying under a pile of rubble," said Elmari Murphy, who takes care of Grace at the House of Kindness, a temporary safe house.

Dr Heinrich du Toit, a paediatrician practising at the hospital, recalled that Grace was "a tiny girl" when she was found and brought to the hospital.

"Estimating her age was not straightforward, as it appeared Grace may have been born prematurely at around 36 weeks, perhaps a month earlier." Baby Grace remained in the hospital for over a week for tests, during which time the doctors and nurses grew extremely fond of her. On the day she was discharged into Murphy's care through Child Welfare Groenkloof, everyone involved in her care came to bid her farewell.

Tests revealed Baby Grace had a condition affecting her overall health that required specialised treatment as her best prospect.