Lisa Isaacs
AN eight-year-old former patient of the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital has raised R20 000 towards the expansion and upgrade of its paediatric intensive care unit.
The hospital is one step closer to expanding the unit, with R2.6 million raised of the last R10m needed. It has appealed to the public to help complete the R100m project, and aims to raise the rest of the R10m by the end of next month.
The campaign’s little ambassador Cadi de Jager and her family hosted a potjiekos sale at New Orleans Primary School in Paarl this week to raise funds.
Friends and the community donated ingredients and their time to the sale. Nineteen potjies were made and the public enjoyed the live music as well as a Zumba class in the morning. They raised R16 000, and R4 000 was anonymously donated.
Cadi , who features in the hospital’s “Words kids shouldn’t know” campaign, was first diagnosed in July 2014 with a benign brain tumour after her parents noticed she was not growing as fast as other children her age. When MRI results came back, her family was devastated.
Cadi’s mother Celeste says they were advised to take Cadi to see a paediatric neurosurgeon at Red Cross.
After nine months and many tests, doctors discovered that Cadi did not have a brain tumour, but rather a non-cancerous cyst that had formed under her brain, causing her growth to be stunted.
Cadi only spent four days at the hospital and her cyst was removed in July last year.
“I really could not have asked for a better team to take care of Cadi, or better nurses to look after my child. The staff became our family, they all went the extra mile for us and really had empathy for what we were going through,” said Celeste.
Despite Cadi’s cyst returning, it is manageable, and she doesn’t need more surgery.
Children’s Hospital Trust spokesperson Roxy Mitchell said Cadi was chosen as an ICU champion after she astounded hospital staff with her know-ledge and pronunciation of complicated medical terms.
“It occurred to us that this is sadly the reality of sick children who spend lengthy periods in hospital. The hospital becomes part of their world and their words,” Mitchell said.
To help children receive the best care, SMS 40465 to donate R20, or donate at www.childrenshospitaltrust.org.za