St Joseph's inclusive play park shows that playing is for everyone

CAPE TOWN, South Africa - Dec. 17, 2021 - PRLog -- St Joseph's Home's unique inclusive play park for its young patients is currently in focus in the DSTV ad campaign to kick off the "Keep them smiling" summer campaign.  The all-new play park that has been specially customised for children with disabilities has added a new dimension to the care and rehabilitation that vulnerable children facing life-limiting conditions receive at the 175-bed paediatric intermediate facility in their journey to recovery.

In fact, St Joseph's Home for Chronically Ill Children in Cape Town has been providing 24-hour specialised and general nursing care, as well as rehabilitation for children with life-threating and life-limiting conditions for 86 years and the amount of R86 will help them continue to provide the free care to the medically fragile children.

"Although we are sometimes mistaken for an orphanage, we are a fully fledged, multidisciplinary paediatric facility," explains Christa Robijn, St Joseph's Resource Development Manager, adding, "we not only provide 24-hour nursing care, but holistic care and support in the form of occupational therapy, dietetics, social work, physio, speech therapy and educational support. Our little ones may be on the road to recovery, but they are still children. Just like other children, these kids deserve all the love, care and, of course fun, we can provide".

Online campaigns
Despite the continued challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, St Joseph's has had a very busy year with a lot of its fundraising activities moving online, such as the Happy Nappy Drive (June to August) and the ongoing Stellenberg Gardens Virtual Tour, which so far has raised more than R100 000 for the home and its special, young patients.

The current "Keep them smiling" summer campaign is aimed at raising funds for the home and partnering with retailers, manufacturers and suppliers of baby and children's products. Says Christa Robijn: "With the launch of our summer campaign, we aim to raise R300 000 to help us fill the gap that comes with stocking up on summer supplies, such as baby toiletries, summer shoes and clothes, arts and craft supplies and toys, to name a few."

She adds: "For 86 years, St Joseph's Home has been giving medically fragile children a second chance at childhood. Our multi-disciplinary, intermediate services are offered at no cost to our patients and their families, so we appeal to the public to help us keep doing the good work by donating R86 for 86 years of St Joseph's holistic care. We believe in second chances and know our supporters do too."

https://stjosephshome.org.za