Sixteen-year-old Lola-Hope Myburgh prepares to launch a teddy bear drive to bring comfort to children in hospital.

She is turning her own experience of surviving a life-threatening heart condition into a mission of hope. After undergoing major heart surgery and receiving a pacemaker, the Alberton teenager wants to ensure young patients facing medical battles know they are not alone.

At just 15 years old, Lola-Hope’s life changed forever when she collapsed at home after suffering a severe tachycardia episode. Doctors spent four hours stabilising her before she was referred from one specialist to another in search of answers.

An ablation procedure revealed she had been born with three extra electrical pathways around her heart, causing it to beat dangerously fast. Unfortunately, the surgery was unsuccessful and left her with serious complications, including a blood clot in her leg.

Despite many doctors saying they could not help, her mother, Sky Myburgh, refused to give up. She contacted heart specialists across South Africa until Dr Razeen Gopal in Cape Town agreed to take Lola-Hope’s case.

This year in March, Lola-Hope travelled to Cape Town, where she spent 10 days in hospital and underwent surgery to receive a pacemaker.

Doctors explained that repairing her heart was too risky because of damage caused during the previous procedure, making the pacemaker the safest option. She will remain on heart medication for the rest of her life.

Turning pain into purpose

Although her condition forced her to give up the sport she loved, Lola-Hope chose not to let it define her.
Remembering how lonely she felt during her hospital stay, she decided to create the Lola-Hope Teddy Bear Drive to bring comfort to children receiving treatment in hospital.

“I want children to know they are not alone, every child deserves a runway of hope, has become the inspiration behind the initiative,” she said.

The campaign collects new or gently loved teddy bears, which will be donated to children’s wards, starting with Johannesburg Gen Hospital before expanding to other hospitals.

Collection boxes and banners are already being placed at schools, beginning with Hoërskool Alberton, with more schools expected to join the initiative.

The project accepts teddy bears only and does not collect cash donations.

Giving back to the community

Lola-Hope also volunteers at Angel Baby Sanctuary, where she spends time with babies and young children and helps collect donations for the non-profit organisation.

She hopes her platform will encourage others to spread kindness and support children and families facing difficult times.

“Being kind costs nothing. You never know how much your kindness can change someone’s day or even their life,” she said.

Support from family and school

Throughout her recovery, Lola-Hope received unwavering support from her family and Hoërskool Alberton.

She missed 62 school days last year because of hospital stays, surgeries and recovery, and has already missed 32 days this year. Despite this, she achieved five distinctions.

Her mother praised principal Mrs Jordaan, Louise Miller and the school’s teachers for ensuring she received all her schoolwork while recovering at home and helping her stay on track academically.

Without their support, Sky believes her daughter’s academic success would not have been possible.

Looking ahead

Lola-Hope dreams of becoming a cardiologist one day so she can help children facing heart conditions similar to her own.

People who would like to donate teddy bears or find the nearest collection point can contact Sky Myburgh on 084 987 0000 for information on where the collection boxes are currently located