Advocate Anna Difo She started New Jerusalem Children’s Home 22 years ago when HIV/Aids was rife and left scores of children orphaned, homeless, and HIV-positive.
Bianca, a 29-year-old ICU Sister at a private Gauteng hospital, is used to caring for severely ill patients. She’s used to the stress of working 12-hour shifts, often in a life-or-death environment. She took great care not to fall ill herself, but earlier this year, it was her turn to be the patient. Despite her young age and healthy, active lifestyle, Bianca’s Covid experience was life-threatening.
I agreed to take in two teenage children (a brother of 18 and a sister of 16) who had nowhere to go. They were dumped next to a road, with a Pick n Pay packet each. I have two small children of my own. I was so nervous about how two teenage children who came from an emotionally and physically abusive home would affect my girls. I was wondering whether I was doing the right thing?
5-year-old MJ and 2-year-old Zariella are a very special brother and sister pair from Centurion. They are the centre of their mom, Carmen, dad Stephan and their grandparents' lives. The children are bravely soldiering on, facing medical challenge after medical challenge.
Abbygayle is a happy, hard-working girl who has been a dancer for most of her young life - spending up to 10 hours a day dancing. However, this all changed a year and a half ago when she was diagnosed with scoliosis.