Special sanctuary

Mon, 21 December 2009

GreaterGood SA writer, Jill Sloan, met up with a few of the children and social workers to find out more about this special sanctuary, called St. Joseph's in Pinelands - Cape Town. The home cares for 145 chronically ill children and will benefit from this year's Make Christmas Matter campaign by receiving a sparkling new kitchen.

While the building appears on entry to be much like a hospital, there are personal touches all along the way. Children’s drawings and photos of St Joseph’s since its inception in 1935 adorn the walls and toys and potplants lighten the institutional feel.

Weekends are special The social worker at St Joseph’s Home is young and energetic. She bustles out of her brightly lit office to collect the children who have agreed to an interview. Three girls arrive soon afterwards: Fatima, Thandi and Funeka. Typical pre-adolescents, they giggle when I ask their names and opt to squeeze onto the two armchairs in the office rather than perch on available chairs at the adjacent kiddies’ table. Charlton and Daniel amble into the room a minute or two later. The children discuss the technology exam they have just completed. It’s a Friday and the three girls are excited about their visit home for the weekend. Fatima explains that they don’t always get a weekend away from St Joseph’s, but adds:

“There’s always something to do on the weekends. We watch movies or there may be a party on the wards. Sometimes we go on camp near Simonstown. Next week we are having a variety concert so we are practising for that.”

Outside in the sunshine, with Table Mountain in the background, the three girls demonstrate their Beyonce moves for the variety concert. Charton and Daniel strike poses for the group photo. They rush off to their respective wards as soon as we re-enter the building.

Devoted staff All 145 beds at St Joseph’s Home are earmarked for children who are chronically ill. The Home provides high quality care for children living with HIV, Type 1 diabetes, cancer, organ failures, injuries resulting from accidents and other long-term chronic ailments. Nursing staff work around the clock on wards housing anything between 15 and 35 children.

Taking care of a chronically ill child is not a simple matter. All of these children require a tailor-made regimen of medication at least twice a day and regular monitoring of their conditions. Many of the children come to St Joseph’s because the structural conditions in which they are living do not allow for the quality of care essential to their survival. Luis Medina, Resources Development Director demonstrates how the taken-for-granted act of simply boiling a kettle of boiling water can be very challenging: “There are children here whose parents just don’t have running water or electricity at home. So what do you do? It can be impossible for the parents.”

“What I find most difficult about working here is being a father figure to the boys. I don’t have kids of my own but I am the only male professional working with the kids here.”

“The best thing about my work is that I am not restricted to doing physio only. I work individually with the kids until 2 o’clock each day; and then after that I get to entertain the kids. I take them to the toy library, to go swimming or on outings.”

“I find it easy to relax by talking to people I know – basically anyone who will listen!”