A Grade 7 learner from Welkom Preparatory School has swelling on the brain after being hit with a ball by a fellow pupil. She started feeling unwell but her requests for help were ignored by the principal, who brushed the incident off.

Rethabile Mokoma (13) is still undergoing physiotherapy and waiting for the swelling to subside.

Her mom, Moleboheng Mokoma, said the first signs appeared when her daughter arrived home from school on Tuesday (4/6), and she could tell something was wrong. It went downhill from there, as she had difficulty breathing and seeing.

‘The doctor said she had a concussion’

“She struggled to stand up straight and got alternately cold and hot. She said they were playing with a soccer ball during the break, and the ball hit her head.”

Rethabile couldn’t remember the exact details of the day. As a result, the doctor who treated her described her condition as temporary memory loss, identifying it as a concussion.

“On the day of the incident at school, Rethabile displayed some symptoms after being hit by the ball. The teacher said she seemed disoriented and out of place. After the incident, my daughter came back from school and explained what had happened, and how the teacher and principal had handled the matter.

Rethabile Mokoma (13) is still undergoing physiotherapy and waiting for the swelling to subside. Photo: Facebook

“That’s when I went to the school to confront the principal about why I wasn’t informed that the ball had hit my daughter,” her mother said.

After explaining the situation to the principal, he refused to call Mokoma, dismissing her daughter’s reactions as overreacting and pretending.

“So, the principal basically said after I called that he still feels my daughter is overreacting. He stated there’s no way a ball could hit you and cause such symptoms, based on his experience in sports and coaching.

“The first doctor to examine her was Dr Gomizulu, who immediately recommended x-rays to determine the extent of the damage caused by the ball,” she said.

The medical treatment Rethabile is receiving includes physiotherapy because the most alarming symptom was when she started losing feeling on her left side. She is being treated with pain medication, but they can’t give her much as they need the brain swelling to subside to determine whether surgery is necessary.

The medical treatment Rethabile is receiving includes physiotherapy because the most alarming symptom was when she started losing feeling on her left side. Photo: Facebook.

She mentioned her daughter is still experiencing side effects from the swelling, particularly since her left side stopped functioning properly. Sometimes, she goes into a dormant state, just staring into space. The doctor said it might be because she is listening to the throbbing pain in her head.

“My main concern regarding her recovery is the long-term damage the swelling could cause. The doctor mentioned that some symptoms of a brain injury might not appear immediately but could manifest later as she grows and develops.”.

The principal and the school have still neither apologised nor addressed the situation. She reported the matter to the Department of Education and the circuit district manager, but they still need the principal’s report to proceed.

The Grade 7 learner had no prior head injuries that could have caused the severity of the current injury.

The school referred OFM News’s enquiries to the provincial Department of Education. Spokesperson Howard Ndaba said the department is investigating the matter.

OFM News/Heidrè Malgas mvh