Any of you who have visited us in our offices in Rondebosch, may remember seeing the saying that is inscribed on our wall:
Life’s journey is always easier when you hear a friend’s footsteps beside you
Unknown Author
I think now more than ever during these uncertain times, we all need friends who can come alongside us. The word friend is encapsulated in our organisations name: Paedspal and is a play on words with the ‘pal’ being a shortening of the word ‘palliative’ as well as a colloquial word for ‘friend’.
Ubuntu
If they say it takes a village to raise a child, I am sure it must take a very big city to raise a chronically ill child. Unless you’ve actually done this yourself, I don’t think you can truly appreciate how hard this is. Raising a “normal child” is hard enough but one that has complex needs is really tough.
Paedspal vision is to enable children with life limiting conditions to live as well as possible for as long as possible. Our mission is all about working alongside patients’ primary treatment providers and their communities, to ensure the best quality of life for children with life limiting conditions and optimal support for their families.
In COVID-19 times this has suddenly become a lot harder. We are finding ourselves needing to help with things that we don’t normally help with…like helping patients and families access food and other basic needs such as electricity to keep their child’s oxygen going! Whilst of course, we do try help link patients up with government resources and other NGOs, this is neither quick nor easy.
We are also finding we are needing to work longer and harder as we space clinic bookings out to enable social distancing. Most of our employees are juggling work and home schooling and life in general is more gruelling.
On the other hand, we have seen the most incredible generosity and solidarity amongst people and have even seen barriers and beurocracy being broken down.
We are incredibly grateful to some of our donors who have helped us to help our patients more by providing COVID related funding that has enabled us to assist with food provision and to run a COVID helpline.
Unfortunately, the NGO sector hasn’t been given much of a “leg up” from government as it has to small business owners. We feel like the “forgotten sector” left behind on the frontline as we are directly connected with some of the most vulnerable families.
It costs R 250 per hour to keep Paedspal operational. These operating costs include things such as rent, electricity, stationary, printing, transport and clinic/therapy consumables.
Do consider coming alongside us so we can continue to come alongside our precious patients and their families.