November News

Spring has sprung and the sun is out…and with this change of season, it is clear to see that the children here at ThembaCare are buzzing with energy! From early in the morning, during breakfast time and throughout the day one can hear the sounds of laughter and singing, our two bigger toddlers (pictured spinning), encouraging the smaller ones to eat their ‘pap’ before leaving for school, even sneaking in a minute or two to play with the babies before running out to school collect bags, and boldly saying goodbye as they head off to crèche.  

As for the other little ones who are too young for crèche, the efforts of the hard-working and dedicated staff is bearing fruit…three of the little ones who were quite developmentally delayed are now trying to crawl, from sitting on the mat to getting into the crawling position on all fours. It may take a lot of effort for their little bodies to transition into this position, but with the encouragement of our carers and the little ones curiosity to have that toy that has been set a little way in front of them, it is clear to see that soon, with a little help and stimulation, they will be moving from one end of the room to the other. 

This last month has been filled with lots of positives here at TCA…the nursing students from the university of Connecticut (UCONN), who were previously at TCA for academic purposes, have come back but this time to volunteer over weekends and also we will have another volunteer join TCA later this month. One of our bigger toddlers has started going home on weekend visits with his mother, and some of the smaller toddlers are starting and trying to verbalise the words that are spoken. It’s heart-warming to see the progress that is being made, none of which would be possible without the carers, volunteers and the mothers, who visit regularly or sleep over at TCA to take care of their child but also assist and play with the other children. The bond between mother-and-child and that of carer-and-child is priceless.

With 2013 drawing to a close, the next few weeks will be busy with an upcoming Christmas party being planned with gifts, face-painting, and a visit from Father Christmas to spread the Christmas spirit and cheer. Our children will be entertained and spoilt with love & attention as not all of the kids get to go home over the festive season, but the expression of excitement on their faces at receiving a something new especially for them, oh what joy it brings!                                                                                                                            
We have been received many donations throughout the year of food, clothing (some knitted especially for the TCA babies for those colder days) and toys, for which it is wonderful to see individuals, groups and communities work together to support and look after the needs and well-being of others.

We are grateful and appreciative of every item donated to ThembaCare, Athlone. 

October News

‘’If music be the food of love, play on…’’

Quoted from Shakespeare’s play ‘Twelfth Night’ it is clear to see that music is a universal medium through which individuals or groups can communicate regardless of age, gender, background or culture…and the same goes for the children here at ThembaCare, Athlone.

On a daily basis you’ll hear the sounds of the Television in the playroom playing a DVD of different nursery rhymes and songs and when you pop your head into the play area you will find the older kids dancing or trying to mimic the sounds and words of the songs and the smaller ones clapping their hands or swaying to the music.

But Thursdays are a little more special because on Thursdays Karyn (pictured), a qualified music therapist, comes in for the morning to TCA and provides individual and group music sessions for the children. So one would hear the sounds of a guitar, tambourines and shakers among other instruments being used.

Karyn works for a Non-Profit Organisation called The Music Therapy Community Clinic (MTCC) which provides music therapy services to previously disadvantaged and underprivileged communities and individuals. (www.music-therapy.org.za)
With our children having been through traumatic experiences not of their choosing, music therapy helps foster trust and allows them to have a say… a choice. From what instrument to play, singing songs with their names, taking their cues for how loud or soft the music should be, to choice of words and sounds, it helps give them a voice.  It develops their sense of self, independence and offers the space to connect and engage with others through creative musical play. It helps the children feel validated and important. The impact of this validation is evident not only in the sessions, but flows over into the playroom where you’ll sometimes hear the children singing the hello song to each other’s, or see a child who is usually withdrawn begin to find his playfulness as he chooses to play with the others. It’s wonderful to see the children progress, no matter how big or small the milestone that is reached!

September news

Although spring day has only brought more rain, our rooms and staff members started spring bright and cheerful! A big thank you to Broco Techno Park who sponsored beautiful new uniforms (see picture)! This is a true blessing! We have also been donated brand-new blinds for all our windows.

At the moment ThembaCare is buzzing with energy! A group of 5 toddlers, 3 of them now also attending creche during the day, keep the caregivers on their toes! Another fresh start this spring happened for a very special boy who has been part of the ThembaCare family for more than a year. He has been healthy and extremely energetic for some months already, but was waiting to be placed at a more permanent place of safety with the rest of his siblings. However, in the meantime the social workers have managed to contact his aunt and she volunteered to take him and his siblings into her home. We are celebrating his new start - it is always a miracle to us when a child can leave our home healthy and with the hope of a good future.

August News

Anyone who has children in their house will know that toddler-energy and winter days - confined inside the house - do not go together too well! Even though our children have their 'sick' days that they rather want to lay down on the mat than play outside, their energy return the moment they start feeling better. Having all sixteen children inside on rainy days without any outside play time can have its challenges!

That is why an outing this month, arranged by two volunteers from Ireland, was such a great idea! We took eight little-ones on a morning outing to go visit the fish and penguins, sponsored by the Two Oceans Aquarium. They were absolutely amazed by what they saw! The gigantic crabs were a favourite and the toddlers proved to be fearless as they reached out to the glass trying to touch these 'goggas'. Outings are such an important part of caring for our children holistically and the value of taking children who have been confined in an institute and often even to their beds for long times are integral to their development. It also instantly lifts their mood! One little boy who had been miserably missing his mother since admission gave his first full-on smile as we entered the aquarium. The children were heard for days after the outing still singing "hello little fish, hello big fish" to one another.

This is also another indication of how valuable committed volunteers are to our organisation. Volunteers committing to regular visits over a period of months have a chance to bond with children, give valuable individual attention to children and support caregivers in stimulating development and help the children 'catch up' on time lost during long periods of illness.

We are proud to say that we are almost a full-house at the moment and that there has been periods over the past weeks where we have had a waiting list. One of our new admissions is a  beautiful and fragile 4-month old girl, weighing 2,4 kg. We are delighted that she is now returning smiles and becoming more active. Her aunt who will be caring for her is spending time at ThembaCare, learning how to tend after her special needs and becoming more and more confident in looking after her.

July News

On 18 July Nelson Mandela was celebrated here at ThembaCare through two groups coming to bless our staff and children! The objective of Mandela Day is to inspire individuals and companies to “change the world for the better” by serving fellow humans. By spending their (more than) 67 minutes at TCA these groups definitely accomplished this.

The staff from Nedbank in Vangate Mall visited for the morning and they really served us in very practical ways. The men in the group cut the lawn, washed toys and cleaned up our play space, while the ladies folded washing and served a wonderful, warm lunch to all the staff. In the afternoon a group of ladies, accompanied by Dr. Teresa Jennings, came to do a music group for the children and blessed them with some great books and toys too.

On the medical side there has also been some good news. In the beginning of the year we admitted a nine-year old girl with severe brain damage for terminal care. Her family, who loves her dearly, were counseled that their girl might not survive more than a few weeks as her medical prognosis was so poor. However, children surprise us! She gradually became more and more awake and aware of what is going on her around her and a few weeks ago she was not only pulling out her nasogastric tube and tugging on her blankets, but also clapping hands to music. She was discharged to her loving family last week – what a happy discharge!

June News

Pricilla Williams is the first friendly smile you will meet as you enter the TCA building. Pricilla has been the receptionist at TCA since 2007. Whether the milk is finished, the phone is ringing, stock needs to be taken, or visitors are arriving, Pricilla is the go-to person, bringing some order into chaotic days.

Pricilla has worked here through many changes and growth – from the days that we were relying on volunteers to do all our driving (these days we have a driver). What she enjoys most about her work is the interaction with staff and other people. “Every day is so different – you never know exactly what to expect, but that keeps is interesting. You can have a perfectly planned day, but when a child spikes a temperature, it can change your whole day.”

Volunteers that have served at ThembaCare stand out as a highlight for her. “People who have been faithful throughout the years, who keep returning.” Another highlight for her is working with many skillful people. “I have worked with the most wonderful nursing staff. People who have brought a wealth of knowledge and implemented a lot of new things here.” “The relationships I have built here have been very valuable to me. People are really caring.” Employing a driver has also made a job a lot easier. “Previously we had to urgently phone around to find volunteers to drive children to the hospital for appointments.”

Pricilla’s face lights up when she speaks about the children. “There have been children where we have really held our breath…and to see them pull through and get discharged home is always so delightful.” Pricilla has seen many children go through the doors of ThembaCare and she still remembers many of them clearly. “As for many of us Asi stands out…it has been a long road for him with us.” “Little Felicity* also stands out…she came here as a tiny little baby and grew into the cutest, chubby little girl. It is always so sad to see them go”

Before I have a chance to ask more questions the bell rings and Pricilla has to rush off the open the door – then she has to go and make sure there are enough gloves, nappies and wipes for the long-weekend. Part of her job is indeed to make sure all the little things work together – making it so much easier for medical team to take good care of the babies!

*pseudonym

May News

What a team!

On Sunday 12 May ThembaCare celebrated nurses day – a well deserved day for the angels that care for our children. The day was started with a braai and included some speeches and included time socialising and speeches by nursing sisters.

One of our sisters have resigned due to personal reasons, but we have welcomed a new sister, Sister Mgagamela, with extensive knowledge in paediatrics that she gained while working for 9 years in hospitals abroad.

In this quarter ThembaCare has had 10 new admissions. We are currently looking after 3 high-care children, all needing extra care and support.  It is with joy that we can say most of these 10 children have showed drastic improvement already. One special girl arrived with severe protein malnourishment and a list of other illnesses that made her feel quite miserable. She is already older than a year, but up until recently she was only sitting passively, not being able to bear weight on her legs, not reaching for toys and not making any sounds. Her devoted mother has been staying at ThembaCare almost all the time, giving her little girl all the love she could to help her get better. Since last week the little lady has started making some good improvements. The abscesses on her arm have started clearing and she starting laughing and trying to copy some sounds. It is so rewarding to see this breakthrough in this little girl’s life. She will hopefully be discharged at the end of June, please keep her in your prayers.

April News

This month we would like to introduce you to some of our ThembaCare care-givers. There are 18 care-givers working in 4 different shifts, bringing 24/7 care and love to the children at our home.

Nozuko Madikane moved from the Eastern Cape to Cape Town in 1990. She has been part of the ThembaCare team since 2005. Nozuko loves working with children and for her the children have always been the highlight of her job. “At first it was very difficult. Sometimes coming in to work I wanted to cry” – seeing children terminally ill can be emotionally hard to deal with. “But you get used to it and learn how to deal with it. God helps us.” However, she stated that it was after having her own 2 children (both still under 3 years old), that she gained a new insight and understanding for the challenges the mothers of our patients face. Her compassion helps her to support not only the children, but also their parents. “Working through things take time, people need time to heal.” Nozuko has also learned a lot of skills in her time of working at TCA. “I learned a lot about working with children. These things I can also implement in other places, like with my own children.”

Nolwando Futiso became part of the TCA team in September 2012. She leaves her house and her own child at 5:30 in order to be in time for the day shift that starts at 7:00. Nolwando used to work with elderly people “who talked a lot”, she enjoys the children more, but especially has a soft spot for the little bit older children. A highlight for her is always when children learn new skills – when they learn to walk or start talking for the first time.

Mieta Arendse lives in Hanover Park and has 4 children of her own, ranging from 16 to 24 years. She has been working at TCA for 5 years. For her the children are priority. “I always prayed to work with children. I still remember the first day of my new job, I walked in here and I couldn’t believe I was going to be working with these children. According to Mieta she was blessed in that her own children was almost never sick. Now she gets to care for sick children in need of special care and she loves it. She tends to bond especially with the very sick children – “because you can feel they really need you.” This however is not always easy. “The saddest for me is when children pass away. It really affects me.” However the children also provides her with a lot of laughter. This cheers her up.

In the next weeks we will introduce you to some more of the ThembaCare family members. Thank you for your prayer and support as we continue to care for these precious children.

March News

Our patients can win awards for being brave and resilient. I once tasted one of the ARV medications and since then I have had one more reason to call these children my hero’s. This is not the kind of stuff children should have to consume, never mind on a daily basis. However, except for the few cry spells and some toddler attempts to fight off the ghastly liquid, they drink it, day after day and they even smile again after swallowing.

However, our children are not the only hero’s. The caregivers here at ThembaCare definitely deserve some medals too! Not only do they manage to get the medicine into those little bodies without too much trauma, they also have some magical ways of getting children to keep on their oxygen masks, stay in bed or go to hospital without too many tears! They keep calm when children spike fevers; change countless nappies and bathe these children in love. They celebrate milestones; clap hands when children finish their meals and cheer when they take their first steps.

This month the hard work of staff-members has once again produced good fruit. One of our children has the opportunity to attend a school equipped to provide to her special needs after her discharge this month. Another one of our children has found a foster together with his younger sibling. We have welcomed two new babies – one with serious malnutrition. Although she has little interest in anything else than being cuddled at the moment, we are looking forward to seeing her pick up weight and develop into the little personality she is meant to be!

February News

January has been quite an emotional month for the ThembaCare family. We lost two very ill children, one who was part of the Thembalitsha family for a big part of his life. Assi was admitted to TCA from Red Cross Hospital, after being abandoned by his family when he was 8 years old. He suffered from HIV/AIDS, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and TB meningitis which all effected his development as well as the effectiveness of his lungs.  After the first months of care, Assi’s health improved to such an extent that he was able to join the Village of Hope home in Grabouw. In 2011 Assi’s lung functioning started declining to such an extent that he had to be on constant oxygen supply and needed more intense medical care and he therefore returned to TCA. Even though Assi’s lung capacity was so poor and he was constantly out of breath, this did not steal his joy, his zest for life or his charms! He was an active, curious boy who loved any form of social interaction. Although he only spoke a few words, he had his ways of always getting his needs and opinions across and often managed to get some laughs and from the staff. Assi left us at the age of 12 years and although we mourn his death, we celebrate the fact that he was a well-loved, nurtured and appreciated child. Assi’s memorial service was a special occasion –we could look back on the life of an inspiring boy who was very much loved and who taught us so much about appreciating the gift of life and the people around us.

Dealing with very sick children can be tough. Although we see many little ones leaving our facility as chubby, healthy children, there are always the few in between whose stories end differently. However, we are thankful for the opportunities to love these little ones and give as much quality to their lives as possible. Yesterday a little, out-of-breath boy was walking outside when we noticed a butterfly in the bush nearby. He immediately tried to get everyone’s attention to the little bug, pointing and babbling in baby-language, incredibly excited about his new discovery. Children have such an ability to open our eyes again to celebrating life, bringing a joyful atmosphere to our home and reminding us to appreciate every day for what it brings!

January News

The past two months have been buzzing at Themba Care. We have had an overwhelming response from the public in terms of donations. People have come from all over Cape Town donating clothes, food,  toys, Christmas presents and more. Our offices were often overflowing, reflecting the generosity of all those around us. Consequently, our children received LOTS of gifts from Santa at both of their Christmas Parties. They thoroughly enjoyed both parties and got spoilt rotten! Thanks must go out to all those who were involved in organising these parties for us. We are overwhelmed with gratitude and a BIG thank you goes out to all who contributed in every way to us this festive season.

Many of our children got to go home for Christmas to their families, and we welcomed them all back on the 7th of January. Christmas and New Year was temporarily quiet at Themba Care. With the arrival of most of the children on the 7th, things are slowly getting back to order as we recover from “The Christmas Chaos”.

So far we have not had any new admissions, and some of our children will soon be returning home, healthy and happy. For them, 2013 promises to be a good year.  We too, look forward to 2013 and all that it brings.