Increase Paediatric Palliative Care in KZN, SA

It is hard to believe that we are reaching the end of 2024. This year has seen our team provide services to over 400 children living with life-threatening or life-limiting illnesses and their families showcasing Umduduzi’s unwavering commitment to providing palliative care in KZN.

One of the most profound moments for us as a team was our inaugural bereavement service. This service provided an opportunity for us to acknowledge the children who have passed away and give their parents an opportunity to celebrate their lives. This service provided a space for families to grieve, heal and find comfort in shared memories. The emotional support and closure offered through this initiative has been invaluable to the families we serve. Our bereavement social worker, Pamela Mchunu, has been providing families with amazing support, including play therapy with the siblings, and this service was a perfect way to acknowledge the lives she has touched.

Through the work of our team of nurses, education in palliative care is growing. In-service training has been provided to various teams of nurses in different wards and different hospitals. This has led to earlier referrals which have enabled us to provide more holistic services to the families that we work with.

We are always humbled by the families we work with and being invited to walk their journey with them, empowering them to make decisions, sometimes incredibly difficult ones. One family that touched all of our lives were the parents of KM. KM was born with an inoperable heart defect and was hospitalised from birth. She required constant oxygen as her breathing was not strong enough because of the heart defect. Her family did not want her to die in hospital but knew that taking her home might not be an option. The team spent time with them exploring all the possible options. Together with the family and treating team, we agreed to try and wean the oxygen and see whether she was able to breathe on her own for a little bit. The family decided that if she could, they wanted to get her home as soon as possible. They knew that she would not live long but wanted the opportunity to hold her and love her and maybe give the rest of the family the chance to meet her. 

KM managed without the oxygen for a couple of hours so the decision was to put her back on the oxygen while the family made arrangements to get home. The family arranged private transport to get them home and when everything was ready KM was taken off the oxygen and they started the journey home. This was the first time her parents were able to hold her without machines, drips, etc. They sat with her in the car loving her, talking to her, and just being with her. The journey home was long and unfortunately KM passed away peacefully in her mother's arms before they reached home. Both KM's parents contacted the team to thank us for giving them the opportunity to be parents and for honouring their wishes and KM. Even in their sadness they were grateful. This is always so humbling and, in some ways, mind-blowing. In a family’s darkest moments, we have walked with them, supporting them and empowering them, and they are the ones who are grateful. In fact, it is us who are grateful - grateful for the opportunity to make a difference, to give families choice and control and to be a part of so many special little lives.