World Hospice and Palliative Care Day commemorated

NELSON Mandela once said there can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children.

These words were front and centre at this year’s World Hospice and Palliative Care Day commemoration ceremony. The event was hosted by Durban children’s palliative care, non governmental organisation, Umduduzi, a local organisation that works to ensure that terminally ill babies and children receive the best possible end-of-life care.

In an intimate sunset ceremony overlooking the city of Durban, candles were lit in memory of children who have lost their lives. Attendees were then invited to write the names of deceased loved ones onto small chalk boards and clip them onto a tree of remembrance.

Tracey Brand, director and social worker for Umduduzi, spoke of the three myths of children’s palliative care that this year’s event was aiming to address: that it is difficult to assess pain levels of babies and young children and unsafe to prescribe opioids such as Morphine for pain relief; that children can be treated as small adults; and that children don’t know they are dying.

Dr Julia Ambler, a palliative care doctor and recent finalist in the Lead SA hero of the year awards, then illustrated the importance of dispelling these myths by telling the story of one of their young patients.

Under Umduduzi’s supervision, pain relieving drugs were prescribed to a 12-year-old patient with severe Cerebral Palsy. The drugs had a transformative effect on the child’s wellbeing and he is now living a more comfortable life in the care of his loving family.

Brand appealed for financial assistance to enable Umduduzi to help more children. Email tracey@umduduzi.co.za