Angels Unite to Transform Public Hospital Stays for Vulnerable Children

Photo Credit: Jacaranda FM Good Morning Angels

When two dedicated doctors noticed young hospital patients arriving with nothing but the clothes on their backs, they stepped up to bring them comfort and now, the community is rallying to help them do even more!

Pretoria, South Africa (15 June 2026) – An easily overlooked detail in several of our state hospitals is the reality that children admitted for illness, injury, or other health complications often lack personal essentials.

There are roughly 60 children in the paediatric wards of Steve Biko Academic Hospital and Kalafong Provincial Tertiary Hospital at any given time. These children often arrive in times of crisis without a properly packed bag of items like pyjamas or a toothbrush.

It is a reality witnessed almost daily by doctors, and one that Professor Mariza de Villiers, Head of the Clinical Unit of Paediatric Surgery, and Dr Lola Chuma, Specialist Paediatric Surgeon at Steve Biko and Kalafong State Hospitals, were moved to change.

Together, they founded the Lethabo La Bana Foundation (translated to The Joy of Children) to support the children they treat and operate on.

In most cases, disadvantaged children are admitted with no personal belongings, and the already strained public health system is not in a position to provide them. And while mothers are allowed to stay with their children, they too often don’t have toiletries either.

Prof de Villiers and Dr Chuma soon realised that these vulnerable families need, at the very least, comfort packs with basic toiletries to see them through their hospital stays.

Lethabo La Bana exists to bridge the gap in paediatric surgery, ensuring that every child who comes through their doors receives the best possible care. The Foundation also addresses the broader gap by supplementing materials (such as wound care dressings) when the state supply runs out.

The correct dressing is essential and can impact a burn patient’s recovery – and their burden on state resources – dramatically. They need R50,000 a year for this – an amount that seemed out of reach until recently.

After reaching out to Jacaranda FM’s Good Morning Angels show, the organisation’s mission and challenges were shared publicly, quickly catching the attention of generous sponsors. In response, the Vodacom Bulls and Sibanye-Stillwater pledged to host a Charity Golf Day to help Good Morning Angels provide substantial assistance to the Lethabo La Bana Foundation.

From the funds raised, they will assist Lethabo La Bana with a total of R100,000 – allocating R50,000 for the comfort packs and another R50,000 for a year’s supply of wound dressings.

“We are deeply grateful to have been featured on Jacaranda FM’s Good Morning Angels. A heartfelt thank you to Sibanye-Stillwater and the Blue Bulls for their generous donation towards our Lethabo la Bana Care Packages. Because of your kindness, we will be able to bring comfort, dignity, and a little extra joy to the children in our Paediatric Surgery wards this Youth Day,” Lethabo la Bana thanked in a post.

Every care package made possible by this much-needed funding boost will not only provide practical support but also ensure that every child patient and their families know they are seen, valued, and supported by a community that cares.