Trust aiming to raise R150m for kids’ hospital

THE Children’s Hospital Trust at the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital has launched its official fund-raising campaign with ambassadors including DJ Fresh, GoldFish, JP Duminy, Matthew Pearce and Zoë Brown.

They aim to raise R150 million to help heal vulnerable children, like 6-year-old Nadine (surname withheld to protect her identity), who was attacked by a pitbull terrier earlier this year.

Nadine was helping feed their family pitbull terriers, when one of their dogs attacked her, tearing deeply into the side of her face, ripping her eye, cheek, ear and neck.

“Her wounds were deep and close to vital veins. She also could have lost an eye, but thank goodness the highly trained staff managed to save it and, more importantly, my daughter’s life,” her mother Natasha said.

Children’s Hospital Trust chief executive Louise Driver said it was forecast that by 2050, nearly half the world’s children will live in Africa and will need access to quality and affordable healthcare.

With more than 250 000 visits by seriously ill and injured children to the hospital last year, donations will go directly to priority projects and programmes that keep the hospital at the leading edge of international standards in paediatric healthcare.

These projects include the upgrade of the emergency centre, breatheasy tracheostomy and ventilation homecare programme, and the social work child protection programme.

“While raising R150 million is an extremely challenging task, we will continue to strive to ensure that ill and injured children who come through the doors of the hospital have access to the best quality, life-saving healthcare,” Driver said.

The hospital staff and patients and their families need the support now more than ever, said the trust’s head of fund-raising, Chantel Cooper.

“The Children’s Hospital Trust truly appreciates the funding we receive from our donors and partners, and we are now pleading to everyone to help heal the vulnerable little patients who are currently in the hospital but also to help the thousands of sick children in the years to come,” Cooper said.