Baby Thembeka Rolinyathi was born prematurely at just 34 weeks with a complication in his bowel. Little Thembeka had his first operation at the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital when he was only 3 days old and underwent another surgery shortly after that where surgeons removed large pieces of his colon that were infected.

If not addressed quickly this fairly common complication in premature babies can cause death as the immature bowel becomes infected and internal tissue starts to die off rapidly which leads to major feeding and nutritional difficulties. After months in hospital Baby Thembeka and his family were happy to have him discharged. Unfortunately he had to return to the hospital quickly after he developed gastro-enteritis. He was started on a special parental feeding programme which is a fluid mixture injected into the blood that contains all the protein, sugars, fat, vitamins, minerals that babies require. This special diet will ensure that Thembeka gets all the nutrition he needs to develop well. He’s recently moved onto eating solid food in the form of rice cereal and his doctors are happy that he’s progressing well and has started putting on some weight.

A regular debit order donation would help us the most – as it allows us to budget ahead for forthcoming expenses like new equipment and ward upgrades, however a once-off donation would be greatly appreciated too. Any amount you can afford will help us to do more for children. Sign up for our

Regular Giving Programme

which allows for a direct debit order from your bank account for a set, monthly or annual amount. Even the smallest donation made on a regular basis can make a real difference to a sick child as it helps the Children’s Hospital Trust plan for the future.

The Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital is the only dedicated specialist children’s hospital in the whole of southern Africa, and as a result, children from all over Africa come here for help. The Hospital has around 250 000 patient visits every year and their aim is to never turn anyone away.

100% of your donation goes directly to helping the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital where it is needed most and all donations over R100 per annum will receive a Section 18A Tax certificate. (South African Residents only).

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Donate to the Children's Hospital Trust - every cent makes a difference in the life of a sick child.