Meet Farzeen

Reminiscing about your childhood, you can probably hear the voice of a loving aunty say that the children shouldn’t laugh so much, because soon there’d be tears. You probably glanced at your siblings for a second and happily went back to the mad business of daring gymnastics on the sofa, while the aunty tsk-tsked her way through another slice of chocolate cake. But soon enough someone was in tears, and the game was no longer so merry, and you wondered if said aunty had cast a spell on you!

For little Farzeen (4), I doubt her aunty had anything to do with her tumble as she roared with laughter, playing with her brothers in the family lounge. Her fall off the couch, however, resulted in more than just tears, and a family friend who happens to be a doctor, advised her concerned parents to take her to the Emergency Centre at the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital without delay. After a thorough, lengthy examination and x-rays, the little girl’s arm was put in a cast, and she was subsequently discharged. Dad, Zahir, and his young family left the hospital relieved, grateful and hopeful that Farzeen’s fractured forearm would heal swiftly. But when her fingers started to swell later that night, they immediately called the Emergency Centre at the Children’s Hospital and a doctor urged them to bring her to the Hospital immediately. At the Hospital, further x-rays were taken, and another fracture was found. Once the bone was reset and a new cast was put on, the family were once again on their way.

Quite surprisingly, broken bones on busy little bodies can often go unnoticed. But Farzeen’s parents immediately noticed some discolouration that alerted them that it was not just a little bruising. At times like these, every parent wants the very best care for their children and Red Cross Children’s Hospital is renowned for being a leading world-class, specialist hospital for children. It is a hospital that countless Capetonians families trust to bring their child to in times of need.

As Zahir says, “In times of crisis, this is the place to go to.”

When they return to Red Cross for the follow-up visit, Farzeen is still in some discomfort as she murmurs to hold her dad’s attention. She will need a lot of hugs and cuddles and easy, gentle play to keep her occupied through the initial healing phase.

Although we can’t prevent every accident, as caretakers of future generations we have the responsibility to create safe spaces for them to play and heal in those moments that they need our help the most. No matter how severe the injury, every child wants to go about the business of play as if nothing’s the matter. For some it may be more difficult than for others, but we can fully support their intention to live in joy and do what we all really want to do: laugh more!

100% of donations will go towards building a Therapeutic Playground where children can play again. Simply because, it’s more than just a hospital but a playground for all children to heal through what they do best – play.

Thank you for 28 years of helping us give hope and healing to children who need it most. Your donation, love, and support to our cause saves lives.