On the 1st of April, the BIB Unite team went through to Joburg Gen (Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital) to visit the children at the Paeds Renal Ward as part of the BIB Unite Easter Drive.
Leanne Panicco had this to say: “The first thing we noticed was how friendly and welcoming the staff were. The BIB Unite team decorated the ward with Easter themed decor (although the ward was surprisingly quite colourful) and with our bunny ears in place, the ‘Barker Bunnies’ made their way to each section (consultation rooms, waiting rooms and the rooms where the actual dialysis was taking place). Unfortunately, there were not enough machines, so some of the children had to wait their turn but luckily the goodie bags kept them entertained for a while!
A lot of the children were clearly not well and rather downtrodden but seemed really chuffed once receiving the goodie bag, balloon and Vanilla cupcake treat! The staff and children were so appreciative of the visit and the gifts certainly added warmth to their lives. I want to extend a heartfelt THANK YOU to each one of the BIB team for your donations. Every bit made a difference and if you could’ve just seen the smile and surprise on their faces you would realize the impact every bit made. There were even a couple of children that came in last minute for dialysis and we were able to put together a few more bags for them, thanks to your generosity!”
See an excerpt below from the newsletter composed by Charmaine Ginsberg, who runs many projects particularly related to CHOC– she mentioned Barker Insurance Brokers and speaks briefly about the Easter Drive at the Renal Unit.
“Ward 296 is our neighbouring ward and their school is next to our ward. The children in the Renal Ward, just about live at the hospital. The children are having dialyses 3 times a week, 4 hours at a time. Something I will never forget. I was speaking to the Unit Manager, one little boy was walking out of the ward, after just having dialyses, with a backpack on his back to go to school. I was looking at him with admiration, think how brave. The Unit encourages the children to get a good education, be independent and most importantly to always remember there is life after dialyses, the treatment and the challenges they face, does not define who they are.
Any one that would like to know more about the Joburg Gen (Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital) Renal unit, or would like to assist with donations or time, please feel free to contact Charmaine Ginsberg on charmyginsberg@gmail.com
Mother Teresa — 'I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.'
For privacy reasons, no pictures were taken of the children.