Mother of swapped baby yearns for her own child

21 December 2014 - 13:37 By Prega Govender
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A mother whose newborn daughter was swapped with a baby boy in a hospital mix-up three years ago now wants her biological child returned.

Mother NN, as she has been named in court documents, gave birth on August 2 2010 at Tambo Memorial Hospital in Boksburg, Ekurhuleni. She believed she had had a girl, but was assured that she was mistaken and her child was a boy, which she accepted.

She discovered the hospital blunder when the father of her child, in a dispute over paternity, submitted to tests. These revealed that they were not the parents of the child.

Since then, Mother NN, who lives in Vosloorus, and the biological mother of the boy, Mother NS, have been involved in court proceedings over the two four-year-olds. The girl lives with Mother NS in Tembisa.

When the two mothers were introduced through court supervision, Mother NN said she realised how difficult it would be for her daughter to give up the woman whom she believed to be her mother.

Ann Skelton, director of the University of Pretoria's Centre for Child Law, was appointed by the High Court in Pretoria in May as curator to determine how the situation could be resolved.

Skelton recommended that it was best for the children to continue living with the parents who had raised them.

According to Skelton's report, Mother NN, who "originally desired to have care of her biological child, changed her mind due to her observation that her daughter is very bonded to NS and she does not want to cause distress to the child".

But Mother NN has changed her mind.

"At some stage, I would really love to have her back. Blood is thicker than water," said the 33-year-old woman from Gauteng.

She conceded that the boy she is taking care of would not let go of her without difficulty, adding: "I am the only mother he knows."

Her attorney, Henk Strydom, said yesterday that two meetings had recently taken place between the attorneys representing the mothers and the Deputy Judge President of the Pretoria High Court, Aubrey Ledwaba.

"We discussed the terms and conditions of a parenting plan that will be implemented which would allow the mothers contact with their biological children. There will never be a situation where the mothers won't have any contact with their biological children."

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