THE Children’s Centre in Newlands a hospice for children which also offers free accommodation for parents officially opened on Thursday 2 February.
In association with the City of Cape Town’s Social and Early Childhood Development Directorate and the Out Of Africa Children’s Foundation, the facility, in close proximity to the Red Cross Children’s Hospital, provides amenities for pre-op and post-op children, but mainly for children who are terminally ill.
The Mayoral Committee Member for Social and Early Childhood Development, Councillor Beverley Cortje-Alcock, says that the services provided at the facility are mainly aimed at families from outside of Cape Town.
“There was a great need for this type of facility in the community and it has been expressed for a long period of time.
“Many of the families who bring their children for treatment have to travel by bus and sometimes illnesses and complications resurface and they would have to trek all the way back to Cape Town. It made more sense and would be more convenient for families to be provided with home-based care until their children are well,” she says.
The Children’s Centre can accommodate six families per month, and children who are being treated at Tygerberg Hospital, Groote Schuur, UCT Private Hospital and Red Cross Children’s Hospital, can stay at the hospice with their parents, free of charge.
The City ensures the availability of the facility and the Out of Africa Children’s Foundation provides the expertise and care needed for its successful operation.
The CEO and Director of Out of Africa Children’s Foundation, Kim Highfield, says that the centre provides the families of children with pre- and post-trauma counselling sessions to help them cope better with their child’s condition.
Out of Africa Children’s Foundation was recently officially recognised as a member of the International Children’s Palliative Care Network (ICPN) the ICPN serves as an oversight body which ensures that quality standards of services are being met and sustained.
The only child staying at the facility at the moment is 10-year-old Cherlize Lerm from Bloemfontein, who was admitted on Sunday 4 February.
Cherlize was diagnosed with leukaemia in August last year and has since had one of her legs amputated, her father, Leon, told this reporter.
“She will be undergoing intense chemotherapy a type of chemotherapy that is so strong, it will destroy her bone marrow and stem cells,” he says.
Cherlize will be given medication that will ensure her body produces stem cells on its own. Within a month or so, she will undergo a lot of testing to guarantee that the cancer has been completely destroyed.
“It’s a blessing to stay with her while she gets treatment, if we were not here who would have looked after her. The services provided by the facility has made things a lot easier on us, and we can now focus entirely on getting our daughter well again,” says Leon.
The Lerm family wants the best for Cherlize and when they were given the option of getting treatment at either a hospital in Pretoria or Cape Town, Leon says they chose Cape Town. “You want the best for your child, and for her to be cancer-free,” he says.
Patients who stay at the Children’s Centre’s facility with their parents are usually recommended by a doctor to do so. If you would like to qualify for a place with your child, contact Kim Highfield on 072 430 1818 or email big5@outofafricacf.org.