Thanksgiving Service Celebrates Nelson Mandela And The Doctors And Nurses Of Tygerberg Children’s Hospital

The spirit of Nelson Mandela and his love for children, as well as the work of doctors, nurses and staff at Tygerberg Children's Hospital, has been celebrated at an inter-faith thanksgiving service in Cape Town.

Hundreds of people gathered at Tygerberg Children's Hospital to light candles and listen to messages and prayers from religious leaders.

Reverend Mpho Tutu, who is Archbishop Desmond Tutu's daughter, said Mandela always showed his love for children. "Because of that, there is no better place for me to be than to pay tribute to the children and the doctors and nurses who care for them at Tygerberg Children's Hospital.

“Nelson Mandela spread a light over the nation and over our world and has given us a baton to take up and pass on,” said Tutu, who is the executive director of the Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation.

Rabbi Malcolm Matitiani prayed for courage and faith to care for sick children.

Sheikh Fuad Hendricks, said Mandela's spirit would live on. He called for 'kindness in our world and to our children'.

The Executive Director of the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Professor Mariana Kruger, paid tribute to the nurses, as well as the parents of children who are patients at the hospital.

“Your children are our pieces of gold and we really care for them.”

A candle-lighting ceremony was led by Dalene Heyns, the widow of paediatrician and specialist, Dr Louis Heyns, considered a leader at Tygerberg Children's Hospital, where he worked since 1984. Professor Heyns died earlier this year.

“What Mandela was to the nation, Louis was to Tygerberg Children's Hospital. He gave us his example of care and love,” Professor Kruger said.

Mother, Felicia Martin, who brought her daughter to the service in a wheelchair, said the hospital had cared for her daughter, who had injured her leg after falling under a car.

“They've shown her wonderful care,” she said.

More than 17,000 children are admitted to Tygerberg Children's Hospital every year. It is the largest hospital in the Western Cape caring for children and offers highly specialized services to children, from oncology and infectious diseases to neurology and neonatology.

The thanksgiving ceremony was held by Tygerberg Children's Hospital, in collaboration with the Tygerberg Children's Hospital Trust, the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health at Stellenbosch University and Tygerberg Hospital.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu is the Patron of Tygerberg Children's Hospital.

BY KIM CLOETE ON BEHALF OF THE TYGERBERG CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL AND THE DEPARTMENT OF PAEDIATRICS AND CHILD HEALTH, STELLENBOSCH UNIVERSITY – [email protected] or 082 4150736

Lighting A Candle: Archbishop Desmond Tutu's Daughter, Reverend Mpho Tutu, And His Granddaughter, Onalenna Burris, At The Inter-Faith Thanksgiving Service At Tygerberg Children's Hospital. (Photograph By Kim Cloete)

The Thanksgiving Service Was Attended By Nurses And Their Young Patients, As Well As Doctors And Family Members Of The Children (Photograph By Kim Cloete)