Help children at the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital enjoy a festive Christmas season
PARKTOWN – Donate gifts for patients at the Nelson Mandela Children's Hospital this Christmas.
While many children will be waiting to unwrap new toys and treats this festive season, 15-year-old Thando Dladla says her Christmas wish is to get a new kidney.
Thando has been on dialysis for the past four years, the last few months of which have been at the Parktown-based Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital. Having grown up in KwaZulu-Natal, Thando had to relocate to Benoni so she could receive dialysis three times a week at the hospital.
Looking ahead to 25 December, many patients such as Thando will not be able to take a break from the hospital to have a Christmas lunch and open presents at home.
“I’m close to the staff here at the hospital. They are like family to me,” said Thando.
Communications manager at the hospital Ayabulela Poro said since the hospital was built through community involvement, he encouraged the public to assist the young patients who won’t have the luxury of enjoying the Christmas festivities at home.
“We encourage community members to help us make Christmas special for our patients by donating gifts, money or time to spend with the children at our hospital,” said Poro.
The Gazette toured the hospital, visiting children undergoing various forms of treatment or recovering from operations.
Nurse at the hospital’s dialysis unit Beauty Sangweni said, “Patients don’t take a break for Christmas and they aren’t allowed to eat and drink what they want. It’s difficult for them but we try to make it special by giving out gifts on the day.”
Patients come to the hospital from Gauteng, Limpopo, North West, and Mpumalanga to receive specialised care.
Paediatric nephrologist Dr. Tholang Khumalo of the dialysis unit said, “We don’t plan to keep the kids on dialysis indefinitely as we hope that they will receive organ donations. We have a countrywide shortage of organs and encourage people to become organ donors.”
Nine-year-old Nekaya Heynes from Eden Park, who is also receiving dialysis, said she hoped to receive a PlayStation for Christmas.
The hospital will also be releasing a book early next year, recollecting the journey of the hospital. The book is entitled A Dream Realised: The Challenges and Triumphs of Building a Mandela Legacy. It will be available at the gift shop and online soon.
Details: Visit to find the Nelson Mandela Children’s hospital’s wish list.
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