Surgeons for Little Lives successfully raised over R1 million at our annual charity event, which was held on 11 October at the Johannesburg Country Club.
We also received the kind donation of a golf cart; one of the items on our Wishlist.
The fundraiser, which was attended by 305 guests, is a key event on our calendar; helping not only to generate much needed monies but also to raise awareness around the work we do and to give thanks to the donors and volunteers involved with Surgeons for Little Lives.
To date, we have managed to make an invaluable contribution to the quality of care received by our young patients. One of our greatest accomplishments thus far, has been the establishment of the Parental Sleepover Facility at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital, which opened its doors in February this year. Since its opening, the unit has hosted more than 300 mothers, fathers, grandparents and caregivers, ensuring that patients whose parents live far distances from the hospital are able to derive comfort from their presence. The relief for both children and parents is significant.
We also announced at the event that we have raised enough funds to start building a Lactation Unit and Breast Milk Bank at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital in Soweto. This project was launched in 2017 and the team will be ready to break ground early next year.
The funds which were raised at this year’s function will be invested in existing projects, as well as being used to purchase items on our Wishlist. We are also gearing to start our next project: the establishment of a dedicated Paediatric Emergency Department at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital.
This will be a major development for the hospital, which is the third largest in the world and serves a catchment area of 10 million people.
We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to all those who so generously donated items for our auction at this year’s fundraising event – including: The Grillhouse, Rovos Rail, Discovery Vitality Health, Merrill Lynch SA, Jono Wolberg, Gravity Tours, Soweto Towers, Goodman Gallery, Paco Rugs, Tokara, Umngazi River Bungalows, Marine Dynamics, Redlined Motoring Adventure, Strauss&Co, Samara Private Game Lodge, Rand Merchant Bank, De Hoop Collection, Kirsten Goss, Meridian Wine Merchants.
A special mention of thanks also goes to the people and companies who selflessly donated their time and services at no cost, including: Brandsync, Inquba, Craig Wapnick, Dan Nicholl, Doug Bird, Ethan Macrae, Photography by Inga, The Art Room, The Framing Company.
