Last month, Palliative Care for Children South Africa (PatchSA’s) Sue Boucher and Tracy Rawlins spent a day with Tersia Burger and Lyn Croote, two inspiring visionaries who are expanding their existing services to offer more and better paediatric palliative care in Gauteng. They were joined by Mauriche van der Merwe, a bereaved parent from the area presently undertaking the Patch Academy 9-month course. The three were warmly welcomed and generously hosted for the morning by Tersia Burger, CEO of Stepping Stone Hospice, based in Alberton. They were shown around the in-patient facility, met with warm and caring members of the staff, and felt the love and compassion that their patients receive every day.
Building of the children’s unit
Under Tersia’s visionary leadership, Stepping Stone Hospice is building a brand new children’s palliative care inpatient unit in Alberton. The facility will be a warm and welcoming environment, designed to help minimise stress and anxiety for the child and family. The group paid an exciting visit to the building site and look forward to seeing the completed building and attending the official opening.
List of needs for the unit
Follow this link to the Stepping Stone website to learn more about the children’s unit and to see the requirements on their list of needs. If you can assist with any of the items listed, would like to learn more or make a donation, please contact Tersia on 010 4425059 or email her at tersia@steppingstonehospice.co.za
PatchSA’s Sue Boucher and Tracy Rawlins visiting with Tersia Burger from Stepping Stone Hospice and Lyn Croote from Lambano. They were joined by Mauriche van der Merwe, a bereaved parent from the area.
Visiting the building site of the Lambano Children’s Sub-Acute Facility
In the afternoon the group spent time with CEO, Lyn Croote, and her staff at Lambano in Germiston. Lambano is a medical step-down facility for children and adolescents who have been referred from hospitals and other facilities where patients receive further medical, palliative, rehabilitative and psychosocial care. Once discharged from the facility to their homes, children are provided with home-based care. A comprehensive list of additional services that Lambano offers to the community can be found on their website and include advance care planning, respite care, pain and symptom control, counselling, and palliative care.
Children’s Sub-Acute Facility
In a very exciting development, Lambano is building a private/public 30-bed Children’s Sub-Acute Facility under Lyn’s expert guidance. This will be a first of its kind in South Africa. The new facility, which is well underway, will become a sustainability programme for Lambano, taking in private patients to offset the costs of public patients. The Sub-Acute facility will be a stepping-stone for children with complex medical or physical needs. After discharge from hospital, children will be admitted to the facility for further support, along with their family members, who will receive training on how to care for them at home. If you wish to know more or contribute to the building and equipment fund for this facility, you can contact Lambano at hospice@lambano.org.za
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