Update for 2019
HOWICK HOSPICE: will receive a Grant of $6, 332.oo for 2020. Howick continues its role of caring for children with HIV, sometimes complicated by tuberculosis. The two high-calorie food parcels per month supplied by TIAS ARMS help stabilize the weight of the children, who have this wasting disease. TIAS ARMS receives monthly height and weight charts for the children, who are not identified by name. In this way, we know that over 90% are able to keep their weight within a “normal” range. TIAS ARMS also pays for half the salary of a child care worker, who sees the children on a regular basis, talks with the parent or guardian, and helps arrange for a myriad of services, like transportation to and from clinics. “Our” child care worker is warmly welcomed into the home.
Update December 2018
TIAS ARMS once again will provide salary for a Childcare Worker devoted to the young people served by Howick Hospice who have HIV/AIDS.TIAS ARMS also funds two high-calorie food parcels each month to help sustain these children as they deal with this illness. The Childcare Worker monitors the overall health and weight of these children who are on an anti-retrovirals and also distributes food parcels. The children live in townships, often at a great distance from any medical clinic.
Howick Hospice wrote:
We are so grateful to our many different Funders, both local and international, for their continued interest and support of the FREE care that we give to patients on our programme. A very ‘big’ THANK YOU for the difference you make by supporting us!
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We are ever so grateful for your continued financial support which enables our organisation to purchase and distribute food to children on our programme. We currently have 19 children on our programme and are relieved to report that these children are diagnosed with HIV only. None of our children have TB. Monitoring these children’s weights, on a monthly basis, has been effective to ‘track’ the child’s general well-being.
One of our children (D.O.B. 14/12/2015) was admitted to our home-based Palliative Care programme on the 25/4/2017. On admission the child was fearful, shy, withdrawn and would easily start crying. Clearly an unhappy ‘little person’. She displayed delayed milestones and her weight was relatively static.
The District Level Hospital Paediatric Department have referred this child to the Physiotherapy Department, in an attempt to overcome the poor muscle tone, specifically in her legs and feet. She has shown an improvement in her weight gains, her disposition is much happier and she is confidently more ambulant. (She is still inclined to walk on the balls of her little feet)
One of the most incredible aspects to the care of this child is being a witness to the bonds that have formed with this child and the Howick Hospice Nursing Sister and Community Health Worker. From a fearful, withdrawn little person, she has become confident, happy and talks to the Hospice Staff. She refers to the Hospice Nursing Sister as Gogo and her little face just erupts in a broad smile when Gogo comes to visit. We have also been able to provide this child with clothing, donated by one of our local Churches. Child X has been taught to ‘blow kisses and say I love you’ by the Hospice Nursing Sister! Her Grandfather tells us that every vehicle that may pass their home, child X calls out ‘Gogo’, thinking that the Hospice Nursing Sister has arrived to visit!
THANK YOU TIAS ARMS FOR YOUR CONTINUED INTEREST AND GENUINE CONCERN FOR OUR ‘LITTLE’ PEOPLE! WE SO APPRECIATE YOUR INVOLVEMENT!
Charlotte Woudberg, Clinical Service Manager
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Dear Joanne and TIAS ARMS supporters,
I am writing to let you know that our first children have been identified for schooling, uniforms and stationery! It is with great excitement that Mesh and I set out to Pietermaritzburg with the children to purchase their uniforms! We will be paying their school fees next week and have already bought the necessary stationery. Once we have finished preparing this group of students, we will begin interviewing others who have been identified by care workers and the sisters as needing help.
Thank you so much for your generosity, care and love for these very special children. I know they will thrive from the opportunity that you have given them.
God bless and please thank everyone concerned.
With love,
Louise
Howick Hospice