Cape Town -
Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu cancelled an appearance at the launch of his legacy foundation project and handover of a children’s playroom at Tygerberg Hospital on Wednesday, owing to poor health.
Tutu has had to undergo a course of new medication to manage his prostate cancer, a disease he’s been battling for 15 years.
The Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation last week confirmed that Tutu had cancelled his travel plans for the rest of the year due to concerns about his health.
He was also unable to attend the 14th Nobel Peace Laureates summit last weekend.
His wife Leah and daughter, Mpho, spoke at the launch of the Giving Children a Chance For Life project. It will provide children with a chart to make sure they take their medication daily.
They use stickers to mark their completed day of medication, creating a picture at the end of a month’s worth of treatment.
“We designed the project to help children adhere to their treatment. It will be rolled out over the next three years,” Mpho said.
Leah said the family had a “tender spot” for the project.
“My husband had tuberculosis at 12 or 14, and had it not been for the medical (treatment), I might not have got married, there may have not been |a Desmond and Leah, he |might have never been there,” she said.
“When you are sick or ill, don’t give up hope. Care for your sick, it doesn’t matter how ill they are.”
Leah read The Wish Cat to a group of children well enough to play in their newly-created room at the hospital .
Books, Lego blocks, toys and teddy bears lay in the playroom, painted green and blue.
Many of the children will not be home for Christmas. Tygerberg Children’s Hospital medical manager Granville Marinus said he hoped many of their patients would be discharged before Christmas.
“It is so important that the children feel affection, so this is wonderful for them,” Marinus said.
“Their psychological and physical well-being is an important part of recovery and |part of our aim is to get children better, quicker.
“I would like to thank the legacy foundation for the |handover of this playroom,” Marinus said.
- Cape Times