Just a year ago, little Manase then four could barely walk or run across the room without gasping for air.
Today, like any other normal child runs around laughing with friends, her once-failing heart now beating strong after a life-saving surgery in India.
Her remarkable recovery has captured the hearts of many Zimbabweans not only for her resilience but also for the wave of kindness that made her journey possible led by businessman Sir Wicknell Chivayo who donated US$10 000 towards her treatment.
Manase’s ordeal began in 2024 when doctors at Marina Paediatric Hospital in Botswana diagnosed her with heart failure.
Cardiologist Dr. David later referred her to local heart surgeon Dr. Machawira who confirmed that the young girl needed urgent surgery, a procedure only available in India.
As her mother recalls, it was a race against time.
“After being told that Manase had heart failure, I thought it was a minor surgery and I had to sell all that I had worked for whilst in Botswana. I was terrified and at one point I screamed after hearing that the surgery can only be done in India.
“Watching my daughter struggle to breathe every day broke me. Each time the attack came, she would collapse ad it had become routine. But when all hope seemed lost help came from people I had never met,” she said, her eyes welling up with tears.
That help came in the form of Sir Wicknell Chivayo whose timely intervention turned despair into hope.
“Sir Wicknell’s generosity changed everything thanks to the power of social media. He did not just give us money but he gave my daughter a second chance at life,” Manase’s mother said emotionally.
The operation, successfully conducted at a hospital in India was a delicate procedure that repaired the defects in Manase’s heart.
Within a month, she began to regain her strength and today she is a lively pupil at Morning Angels Preschool full of laughter and energy.
Her mother, Antonia Mabhundu expressed profound gratitude to the many people who rallied behind her daughter’s cause.
“I want to thank Sir Wicknell and his wife Lulu Chivayo for their love and compassion. Our heartfelt appreciation also goes to journalist Hopewell Chin’ono, Prophet Uebert Angel, Prophet Walter Magaya, our family, friends and all Zimbabweans who donated in cash and kind. You all stood with me when I needed it the most.” Mabhundu said.
She also praised the staff at Morning Angels Preschool for their care and encouragement as Manase resumed normal activities.
“Every time I see her running, singing, or drawing with her friends, I am reminded of the miracle we witnessed and to the team at Morning Angels, I am forever grateful for it has not been an easy journey,” she said.
Antonia who runs a small printing shop near Copa Cabana can afford to go to work without fear
Manase’s story, shared widely on social media after journalist Hopewell Chin’ono’s public plea for help became a rallying point for Zimbabweans across the world a testament to the power of community, compassion, and collective action.
Today, the little girl with the radiant smile is thriving her laughter echoing through her mother’s rented one room in Harare’s Warren Park suburb.
Her mother watches her every move with gratitude etched across her face.
“Manase’s heart is strong again and so is mine.” she said
