Beyond medicine: how hope and emotional support are changing the lives of seriously ill children

For many children battling life-threatening illnesses, hospitals become a second home. But healthcare workers say recovery is shaped not only by medicine, but also by hope, emotional support and opportunities for children to simply be children again.

That message was at the heart of an event hosted by Reach For A Dream at Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital on Tuesday, where the foundation reflected on its work of helping children and families navigate the emotional burden of serious illness.

Reach For A Dream CEO Julia Sotirianakos said reaching the milestone was particularly significant for a non-profit organisation operating in South Africa.

“We are celebrating 38 years of fulfilling the dreams of children with life-threatening illnesses in South Africa. We are celebrating a momentous occasion because many businesses don’t even last 38 years,” she said.

“To be an NGO in South Africa and celebrate a 38-year milestone is a big honour and we are here to honour that responsibility to our children.”

Since 1988, Reach For A Dream has sought to ease the burden that life-threatening illnesses place on children and their families by making their dreams come true.

Whether it is meeting a personal hero, travelling, receiving a special gift or experiencing something for the first time, the foundation says these moments offer children a temporary escape from painful medical treatment while restoring hope and giving them something positive to look forward to.

Beyond granting wishes, it also runs programmes including Laughter Heroes, Dream Rooms and Dream Club, which provide ongoing support to children and their families.

Sotirianakos said one of the greatest lessons the foundation had learnt was that acts of kindness could have a lasting impact.

“I think that if you are generous and you are kind to children who are our future, you will get that kindness back.”

She pointed to Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital CEO Dr Nkuli Boikhutso, who attended the event after receiving support from Reach For A Dream as a teenager while undergoing treatment for ovarian cancer.

Delivering a message of support, Boikhutso reflected on how the foundation had fulfilled her dream of visiting her aunt in Washington DC during her treatment, saying the experience reminded her that there was a world beyond hospital wards and that she was not defined by her illness.

Now leading one of South Africa’s foremost children’s hospitals, she said hope remained an essential part of children’s recovery.

“Medicine is one thing but to be psychologically pumped up to go through the treatment, you need that hope. You need people to inspire you, and that’s the importance of survivors — to encourage and give others hope.”

For hospital social worker Zinhle Mjiyakho, that hope is often most needed by families who feel isolated after a child’s diagnosis.

She said many mothers carry the responsibility of caring for seriously ill children with little support from relatives or partners.

“They tend to feel left out and be alone with a limited support system.”

The challenge is often greater for families travelling from outside Gauteng to access specialised treatment.

“You are away from home. You are alone here in the hospital environment that you’re not familiar with. You see other patients getting visitors on a daily basis and you are all alone. It’s touching”, Mjiyakho told Sunday Times.

Mjiyakho said initiatives such as Reach For A Dream give children and parents a welcome break from the emotional strain of hospital life.

“Our kids are not here for one day or two days. They spend most of their time here. Having Reach For A Dream making the kids dreams come true brings hope and joy to the kids and they tend to believe that they still live even if they have chronic illnesses.”

She said children often associate hospitals with blood tests, procedures and lengthy treatment.

“But when there are events like this, it changes their lives.”

Instead of focusing on illness, children spend time laughing, decorating doughnuts, having their faces painted and making friends.

“They tend to even forget, ‘I’m in a hospital,’ which is a good thing.”

Those moments stay with them long after they leave the hospital, she said, giving children stories to share with siblings and friends while helping them look forward to future visits with less fear.

Parents echoed those sentiments.

Nelisiwe Ndhlovu, whose eight-year-old son Njabulo has hydrocephalus and a disability, said the foundation had become a source of comfort for families facing similar challenges.

“We always come to the hospital for treatment. Such organisations give us courage and hope because when you come here, you meet parents who are going through the same thing as you.”

She said watching her son interact with other children was especially meaningful.

“Seeing your child playing with other children at such events is very special and heartwarming because we stay in communities where they don’t understand these illnesses, but here it’s like you are seen.”

Her advice to other parents was simple. “Always seek help and don’t try to carry this alone.”

Njabulo, meanwhile, was focused on enjoying the day.

The eight-year-old proudly showed off the doughnut he had decorated and looked forward to having his face painted. Asked what he enjoyed most, he smiled and said he had made new friends.

“Everyone here is my friend.”

While the foundation has expanded its programmes over the years, Sotirianakos said funding remains one of its biggest challenges as economic pressures continue to affect non-profit organisations.

She added that children’s wishes had evolved over time. While many once dreamed of visiting the zoo or going to the beach, today’s children often ask for tablets, gaming consoles and mobile phones that help them stay connected with loved ones during lengthy hospital stays.

The foundation fulfils about seven dreams every day and reaches between 40,000 and 45,000 children annually through its programmes.

For Mjiyakho, supporting children with life-threatening illnesses is a responsibility that extends beyond hospitals.

“When they say it takes a village to raise a child, that’s a message I would love to leave,” she said.