Children at Frere Hospital’s oncology ward put the fact that they battle various cancers to the back of their minds and enjoyed a special Easter celebration while they were pampered with toys and showered with love.
Businesswomen from the BitClub Network spent the morning with the children on Monday. A delegation from the BitClub Network’s team, Fox Coin, rolled out the red carpet to spread Easter cheer to entertain nine children and their mothers at the ward.
Akhona Mangisa said while they had catered for 10 children, they were saddened to learn of the death of another child over the weekend.
“We are businesswomen, but we are also part of a community and we are also parents, most of whom are Christians and fully understand what Easter time is all about.
“We decided to stretch our hands out to the little children who are in this ward day in and day out, and with the little God has blessed us with, decided to have a party to celebrate the resurrection of Christ with these little ones.”
Mangisa said while some of the children were probably used to going to church and celebrating Easter with their families, they were restricted to hospital for now.
“We’re trying to make them feel the Easter spirit even though they are still at the hospital, so they can possibly forget a little about their worries, but have fun and enjoy their new gifts and remember what the spirit of Easter is all about,” she said.
The children were treated to face painting, toys, Easter eggs and sandwiches, while their mothers received toiletry packs which comprised face cloths, toothbrush, soap and toothpaste among other toiletries.
Childhood Cancer Foundation South Africa social worker Thandile Cuntu, who facilitated the Easter party between team Fox Coin and the hospital, said most of the children in the ward came from the former Transkei.
“While we try to raise awareness about cancer, it is very difficult to get to the former Transkei, where most of the children admitted here, are from. Among the challenges are traditional leaders who do not always believe in cancer and mistake the symptoms for colic, wind and other things and, in the rural outskirts, you can’t do anything without consulting traditional leaders,” she said.
Cuntu said most cancers in children were found in the liver, eye and the brain.
Frere Hospital manager, Joy Scholl, said several churches and organisations had visited children during this time, visits they spread across the different children’s wards...