06 Nov Surgeons For Little Lives raises over R6 million at launch event
Surgeons For Little Lives raises over R6 million at launch event – to build a Lactation Unit and Breast Milk Bank at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital
On 13 September 2017, Surgeons For Little Lives, a registered non-profit organisation dedicated to saving the lives of sick children, launched their second big project – to build a Lactation Unit and Breast Milk Bank at Soweto’s Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital.
The unit will have four components: an educational facility for antenatal and postnatal education, a lactation facility where mothers/donors can express in a supported environment, a milk pasteurising plant, and a breast milk bank.
The launch event was held at The Shed at Steyn City and was attended by individuals and entities that have supported and contributed the success of Surgeons For Little Lives since its inception in May 2015. Over R6 million Rand was raised, with an opening pledge from Rand Merchant Bank of R5.2 million Rand. The format of the evening was somewhat unusual as the guests could literally watch the new unit being ‘built’ as guests made their pledges. This was made possible using virtual reality technology. As the evening progressed, so the new building took ‘shape’, giving those bidding a sense of pride and ownership. Comedian, Nic Rabinowitz, was the MC for the evening and kept guests in high spirits. In addition to the pledges for the building costs, an auction was held for an artwork by Stompie Selibe (Candice Bergman Gallery), jewellery from Elegance Jewellers, a Paco rug and a stay at Ivory Tree Game Lodge.
“Our event last night was a great success, and we would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved. Surgeons for little lives has become a wonderful success story, contributing positively to the healthcare of children requiring surgery in Gauteng. This is as a result of our partners who have contributed on so many levels to making this possible,” says Professor Loveland, Chairman of the Board at Surgeons For Little Lives and Head of Paediatric Surgery at the University of the Witwatersrand.
Surgeons For Little Lives was launched in 2015 and is run by a group of Paediatric Surgeons and ordinary volunteers. It is focused on raising the level of care given to patients in the Paediatric Surgery wards of state hospitals in the Greater Gauteng area.
It is solely reliant on funds raised by the organisation and donations from individuals and corporates alike to achieve this objective.
In July 2016, a project was launched at Soweto’s Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital, to build a world-class Paediatric Surgery and Outpatient Clinic, including a sleep-over facility for caregivers. The new clinic is due to be opened in November 2017.
Surgeons For Little Lives is involved in numerous initiatives to improve the lives of patients and the medical facilities at state owned hospitals – from supplying pyjamas and registration packs for patients, to upgrading equipment and building new facilities as outlined above.
To find out more about how to get involved, visit www.surgeonsforlittlelives.org for more information.
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