Red Cross Children’s Hospital welcomes R250k donation for cancer unit

The fight against child cancer received a massive cash boost this week, when just over a quarter of a million rand was handed over to the Children’s Hospital Trust for the Upgrade of the Oncology Unit at Red Cross Children’s Hospital.

Built in Cape Town in 1956, the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital is the first stand-alone tertiary hospital in Sub-Saharan Africa dedicated entirely to child healthcare.

“We invited our customers to help us with our fundraising drive for Red Cross over the last two months and I am blown away by the support we received. A percentage of every bed we sold was collected for this purpose, and it helped us reach the total of R253 829,” says Mervyn Ewertse, founder of the independent sleep specialist group Bed King.

The company, says Ewertse, has supported the Red Cross Children’s Hospital with similar projects in the past, and it plans to continue this partnership.

“Corporates have to find ways in which they can give back to communities. The plight of children is an issue close to our heart, and it was an easy decision to choose to support the Red Cross Children’s Hospital and their work in making a difference to the future generations of our nation. ”

The donation in its entirety will be used towards the upgrading of the Oncology Unit.

“The Red Cross Children’s Hospital Trust has committed to raising R13,6m towards this upgrade. The 21-bed unit is home to doctors, nurses and specialists who have dedicated their lives to helping their young patients fight cancer. But most importantly, it is home to the most remarkable children you will ever meet, children who fearlessly fight a battle most adults could not. Children that need your help,” says the Trust’s CEO, Louise Driver.

The dedicated staff in the Unit provide care to the children and support to families and caregivers who fear for their children. 70% of the children come from impoverished communities, with 31% from outside Cape Town.

The Hospital has seen an increase in the number of children admitted to the Oncology Unit, with 946 children admitted in 2006 to 1366 in 2017 and 2407 in outpatients in 2017.

The donation was handed over to representatives of the Children’s Hospital Trust on Friday 12 October 2018. Read more about the Oncology Unit and how you can support them at https://www.childrenshospitaltrust.org.za/projects/oncology-ward-upgrade-project/