Celebrities support paediatric heart initiative
Political Correspondent
SOUTH African celebrities and icons, including former president Nelson Mandela, have volunteered to set aside time to help raise money for children with heart problems to undergo surgery.
The Walter Sisulu Paediatric Cardiac Centre for Africa at Sunninghill Hospital in Johannesburg announced yesterday that people would be able to bid on the auction website eBay to spend time with a number of celebrities. This could include having tea with Mandela, playing soccer with former Bafana Bafana captain Lucas Radebe, getting a singing lesson from Miriam Makeba, or drinking a beer with radio personalty Jeremy Mansfield.
Half of the money raised through the initiative will go to the centre and the remainder will be distributed to five other children’s health charities.
Over the past two years about 100 underprivileged children from all over the continent have undergone surgery at the paediatric cardiac intensive care unit at the hospital. The unit conducts about 400 operations a year.
Chairman of the cardiac centre Lungi Sisulu said at the launch at the hospital, which was attended by Mandela, that the centre had recently finished extensions that would enable it to facilitate between 600 and 800 heart operations a year.
However, it costs more than R100000 to do one operation and for the centre to reach this goal, the unit will need R80m.
Former US president Bill Clinton, who was at the launch, which was also attended by a number of sportsmen such as cricket player Shaun Pollock and Olympic swimming gold medalist Ryk Neethling, announced that in celebration of Mandela’s upcoming 88th birthday, he would sponsor two children.
“No child should die without having the chance to live his or her dreams, or even making mistakes,” he said.
“You have given the whole continent a great gift here.”
Cardiac centre head Dr Robin Kinsley said almost all cardiac conditions in children could be corrected or at least palliated.
However, only a few children on the continent could undergo surgery because of a lack of money, he said.
The “priceless moments with eBay” auctions start on November 6 and end on November 16. However, starting on Mandela’s birthday next Tuesday, individuals and businesses can donate $5000 or more to the initiative and be recognised on a special eBay web page.
Posted by: www.SouthAfrica-CarHire.com
News Source: www.businessday.co.za
