Please Help our Children in Need

At Stepping Stone Hospice & Care Services, we are privileged to walk alongside families during some of life’s most challenging moments. As a COHSASA-accredited Non-Profit Organisation based in Alberton, we provide specialist palliative care to those facing life-limiting illnesses, both children and adults who need us most. We are reaching out to compassionate businesses and community partners who might be able to support our life-saving work. We are reaching out on behalf of a very special young girl named Rumica Jonker, and the six other precious children currently in our care at our In-patient Unit (IPU) in Raceview. Rumica lives with Mosaic Trisomy 12 syndrome, an exceptionally rare genetic condition where some of her cells carry an extra copy of chromosome 12. This complex condition affects multiple aspects of her life, including developmental delays, intellectual disability, heart defects, and hypotonia (low muscle tone). She is oxygen-reliant and requires round-the-clock specialized care. Because of her condition, Rumica cannot eat food the way most children do. Our dedicated nurses lovingly prepare balanced, nutritious meals (fresh vegetables) and carefully selected ingredients that are blended into smooth purées. These specially prepared meals are then administered through her trachie tube, ensuring she receives the vital nutrition her growing body needs. Currently, we care for six children with life-limiting illnesses and conditions in our children’s IPU, alongside the adult patients in our adult In-patient Unit in New Market. Each child has unique, complex medical needs that require specialized equipment, trained nursing staff, medication, nutritional support, and most importantly, compassionate, dignified care. Here is the truth we face every day: More than half of our patients cannot afford to pay for their care. Yet we have never turned anyone away, and we never will. Every child, every adult, every family deserves dignity, comfort, and support regardless of their financial circumstances. The cost of caring for children like Rumica is substantial. Fresh vegetables and ingredients for their specially prepared meals, medical equipment, oxygen, specialized feeding supplies, nursing care, and life-sustaining medications all come at a price. Without the generosity of supporters like you, we simply cannot continue to provide this level of care. Your donation, whether it’s fresh produce from your farm, financial support, or supplies, will directly impact the lives of these children. It becomes part of the meal that sustains Rumica. It becomes the care that gives her dignity and comfort. We understand that businesses face their own challenges, but we also know the incredible generosity that exists within our community. If your farm or business is able to assist Stepping Stone Hospice with donations of fresh vegetables, produce, or financial support, you would be making a tangible difference in the lives of Rumica and the other vulnerable children in our care. We welcome fresh vegetables and produce for our specialized meal preparations, financial donations to support medical care and equipment or any other assistance your business may be able to provide. No child should face a life-limiting illness without proper care, nutrition, and compassion. With your support, we can ensure that every child at Stepping Stone receives the nourishment, medical care, and love they deserve - no matter their family’s ability to pay. For more information about our organisation, you are more than welcome to contact us via email: fundraising@steppingstonehospice.co.za during business hours on the following details. Thank you for your assistance in advance.