Grey’s Hospital has welcomed its own Dream Room, a space for young patients to take a break from hospital life and enjoy colour, creativity and most importantly, the chance to just be a kid:
Pietermaritzburg, South Africa (15 April 2025) — An exciting new addition to Grey’s Hospital came about recently, bringing with it more than just a splash of colour.
Like any unit of its kind, the paediatric oncology unit is familiar as a place where health battles are fought by young patients who want nothing more than to exist beyond their illnesses. The allocated ‘Dream Room’, then, is a breath of fresh air for Grey’s paediatric oncology unit in more ways than mere aesthetics. Instead, it stands proudly as its own little corner of the world that’s been carved out with one mission: let the kids regain a little bit of their childhood.
The Dream Room is an initiative led by the NGO, Reach For A Dream. To date, the organisation, along with different partners, have made 48 Dream Rooms possible across the country. The Grey’s addition marks the 3rd one launched in 2025 alone.
“At Reach For A Dream, we believe every child deserves the chance to embrace the joy of childhood, even in the face of a life-threatening illness,” the non-profit said.
There’s something for every kind of kid in the Dream Room. Interactive games, virtual reality experiences, toys and books await the young patients; a stark contrast to the world within the hospital’s walls outside.
Beyond the fun and games, children also have development support in the Dream Rooms thanks to facilitation by psychology graduates who have been trained in Early Childhood Development ECD. With their help, the young patients are guided to reach developmental milestones.
Other Dream Rooms across the country include spaces at the Steve Biko Paediatric Cardiology and Pulmonology Clinic.
The latest Dream Room was made possible with help from The Mediterranean Shipping Company.
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