The Children’s hospital are gaining traction to get to their ultimate goal.
Thanks to the generosity of individuals, families, communities, corporates, the media, trusts and foundations, the Children’s Hospital Trust has raised a whopping R4 million for the building of the bigger and better paediatric ICU at the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital and is now R6 million shy of its R10 million mark.
Nine-year-old Cadi de Jager, the Children’s Hospital Trust’s littlest ambassador, has also played a big part in reaching this significant milestone. The ex-Red Cross Children’s Hospital patient, who was first diagnosed with a benign brain tumour and later with a Rathke’s Cleft cyst, has not only undergone brain surgery but has travelled around South Africa to call on the public to help raise funds for a new ICU.
As a child who has first-hand experience of spending time in ICU, she knows just how precious childhood is when your life hangs in the balance. Cadi has taken on her role as an ambassador with vigour and is passionate about giving back to the hospital that gave her a second chance at childhood.
The R100 million-plus project will see significantly improved intensive care services delivered to critically ill and injured children from South Africa and from the rest of the African continent. Capacity will also be greatly increased, addressing the desperate need for more beds to treat some of the African continent’s sickest little patients.
With the lion share of the funding already secured for the building of this life-saving unit, the Children’s Hospital Trust – the official fundraisers for the Red Cross Children’s Hospital – have made an emotive appeal to the public to help them raise the final R10 million to complete the building with the help of little Cadi.
“R4million of this target has now been reached, so there is still a way to go to reach the final target of R10 million by the end of June.”
Cadi and her family have been at the forefront of the campaign and have hosted fundraising events in their Paarl community. A Jazz evening will also be held on 3 June. Cadi has appeared on many radio and television shows promoting the cause and even travelled to Johannesburg in May to conduct live interviews with CliffCentral, ChaiFM and HotFM.
Construction on the unit began in October 2015 and is expected to be completed by the end of 2017. The 22-bed facility will increase to 39 bed spaces, and will include an urgently needed 10-bed High Care Neonatal Unit as well as isolation cubicles. The high care unit and the isolation cubicles will ensure optimal treatment through better infection control, which is critical in ICU.
“It costs between R8 000 and R10 000 for a child to spend just one night in the ICU at the Red Cross Children’s Hospital, which could mean the difference between life and death.”
“This new and improved unit will be able to cater for nearly double the amount of patients, saving more lives and essentially, giving childhood back to many more patients. We are particularly grateful to Cadi, who has worked so hard despite being a child herself to represent the Children’s Hospital Trust and raise funds for this significant project,” says Louise Driver, CEO of the Children’s Hospital Trust.
Help the Children’s Hospital Trust and Cadi reach its R10 million mark and help give childhood back. *SMS 40465 to donate R20 to building a bigger and better ICU or donate online at: www.childrenshospitaltrust.org.za
Brent Lindeque & #TheGoodStuff team got to speak to Cadi, click the link below to listen to the incredible interview.
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