Donation for Brooklyn Chest Children Hospital in Ysterplaat/South Africa
Dieter and Bettina Wulkow Foundation have sponsored a new sun shade port for the outdor playground close to the integrated school of the hospital.
According to the study of the WHO (see press release of Cape Town Post dtd Dec. 03/2015) in the poorest areas of South Africa again and again people are suffering from tuberculosis. This disease is the leading cause of death in South Africa according to 2014 statistics (second position diabetes and third position HIV). Children are affected oftentimes by this TB disease. The illness can cause heavy physical and mental injuries if the illness is not medically treated in time.
The Brooklyn Chest Hospital Ysterplaat is located close to the Western Cape Atlantic coast and is such a specialist hospital which are housing and treating such children.
Dieter and Bettina Wulkow, members of the board, recently have been invited to visit the Brooklyn Chest Children Hospital in Ysterplaat/South Africa. They were welcome by the leading medical specialist; Doc. Marianne Willemse and Doc. Leana van Dyck who guided the Wulkow’s through the site of the hospital and explained about the task of Brooklyn Chest by treating TB children patients.
At present, the Brooklyn Chest Hospital takes care of almost 350 children, who suffered on TB. They are in the age between some months and 14 years. During their five to six monthly medical treatments the children are placed in several hospital houses. In the advanced stage of their healing process, the very young children visit a Kindergarten or have to go to the integrated school of the hospital. The coastal facility of the hospital is close to the Western Cape Atlantic. A steady stay outdoors by fresh air especially during their free time or rest periods for the children is essential and supports the healing process during the TB treatment. Caused by the high pollution of sunrays in South Africa over the whole year, a longer stay outdoors without sun shade is indeed very irksome and supports the healing process.
Although the Brooklyn Chest hospital is a governmental and finance supported hospital and the medical treatments for the children is free of charge (costs are borne by the Western Cape Government), Dr. Willmese and her team is depending on donations to procure toys, books or play mats, etc. for the children.
In the whole facility at present there is only available one sunshade port under which sometimes up to 30 children can stay and play. Dr. Willemse does urgently need a new larger sunshade port for the playground close to the hospital school under which the children can play and stay more outdoors during their pauses.
During our conversation Dieter and Bettina Wulkow have informed Dr. Willemse and Dr. van Dyck about our foundation which according to our commitment allows such contributions and that our foundation could spend the money for this port installation.
During another visit at Dr. Willemse we have met with a sunshade supplier and have measured the needed size of the port which will be 7 x 14 m. The installation can be done prior to Christmas and before the hot summer season in South Africa starts.
Latest news:
This project sunshade port for the Brooklyn Chest Hospital was approved by our Foundation Board. The funds were already transferred to the Brooklyn Chest Amenity Fund and the order was placed to the sunshade port supplier who delivered and installed the equipment on Dec. 21st, 2015.
Now the children protected by this sunshade port can stay and play more outdoors.”
(Photos: by our own, with the friendly consent of Brooklyn Chest Hospital, Ysterplaat, Cape Town, S.A, Dr. Marianne Willemse for usage.)
