Reach for a Dream celebrated its annual fundraising initiative, Slipper Day, at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital’s Zakithi Nkosi Paediatric Haematology and Oncology Clinic on Friday (May 29).

According to Soweto Urban, the foundation aims to raise R15 million to make dreams come true for children facing life-threatening illnesses.

As part of the campaign, the foundation hosts parties for young patients in hospitals across South Africa.

“Through the funds raised from Slipper Day, we are able to bring joy to children with life-threatening illnesses by making their dreams come true. Being able to have them together for our Slipper Day party allows us to share hope and celebrate their strength in a space where they can be children again,” says Reach for a Dream’s Johannesburg team leader, Boitumelo Kumalo.

Speaking on the importance of Slipper Day, Dr Thandeka Ngcana, paediatric oncologist at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, said: “We see children become the liveliest people when they’re at the party. The work Reach for a Dream does makes my job easier because they respond to treatment positively after spending time with their peers.”

One of the parents, Sbongile Mcwabe from Winchester Hills, who came with her daughter, Samkelisiwe Nkabinde (16), said her child was diagnosed with cancer in August 2025 and adjusting has been hard.

“She had a muscle problem on her left leg, so because she was playing tennis at school, I thought she had hurt herself there. We then took her to the doctor, who referred us to the hospital, where they did an X-ray and found that her bone was swollen. They then did a biopsy in July, and when she went back to school, her leg broke by itself, so they referred her to Bara Hospital.

“The initial results showed no signs of cancer, but the hospital conducted a biopsy again, and the results came back positive,” Mcwabe said.

She added that the doctors then informed them that they would have to amputate the leg.

“On September 19, they amputated her leg. It was hard because in my family, there’s no one who has previously been diagnosed with cancer. At some point, I thought the doctors mixed the results, but through the journey, I ended up accepting it, although it was hard.

“Most of the time she was sick, and we spent most of our time in the hospital. Now the situation is a bit better because we completed her chemotherapy.”

Although Mcwabe and her daughter are still facing challenges and the effects of chemotherapy, they are grateful for life.

“Today, for us, means a lot to us because Reach for [a] Dream is encouraging and motivating the children to see that there is still life out there. My daughter is still in Grade 10 and homeschooling due to her illness.

“She was busy writing her exams and she passed beautifully. She also received a laptop from Reach for a Dream before her operation in September and it has helped her greatly in her studies. To parents in similar positions, do not give up. Have faith and support your child every step of the way,” said Mcwabe.

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