A seven-year-old girl from Macheke has recovered after doctors removed a four-kilogram tumor from her body during a complex operation at Sally Mugabe Children's Hospital. Ashley Zengenene underwent surgery on October 7, 2025, to extract the mass caused by a Wilms tumor, a rare form of kidney cancer affecting young children. The procedure lasted three hours and was led by Dr. Precious Mutambanengwe, a pediatric and neonatal surgeon who described the growth as enormous and requiring careful removal to protect surrounding organs.
The child's mother, Patience Joseph, had resigned from her position as a nurse aide to provide full-time care after Ashley began experiencing symptoms at age three. Initial treatment attempts at Macheke Hospital proved insufficient, and tests at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals later confirmed the cancer diagnosis. Financial support came from the Department of Social Welfare and KidsCare Zimbabwe, which provided housing and assistance during the months of chemotherapy.
Ashley completed her final chemotherapy session at Parirenyatwa on a recent Friday and will begin radiotherapy to ensure complete recovery. Her mother hopes she can soon attend school with other children her age. The successful surgery adds to recent medical achievements at Parirenyatwa, where doctors have performed open-heart procedures and removed large cysts from patients.
The child's mother, Patience Joseph, had resigned from her position as a nurse aide to provide full-time care after Ashley began experiencing symptoms at age three. Initial treatment attempts at Macheke Hospital proved insufficient, and tests at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals later confirmed the cancer diagnosis. Financial support came from the Department of Social Welfare and KidsCare Zimbabwe, which provided housing and assistance during the months of chemotherapy.
Ashley completed her final chemotherapy session at Parirenyatwa on a recent Friday and will begin radiotherapy to ensure complete recovery. Her mother hopes she can soon attend school with other children her age. The successful surgery adds to recent medical achievements at Parirenyatwa, where doctors have performed open-heart procedures and removed large cysts from patients.
