Daniel and Friends Fund: Mandela Day 2016

What is the Daniel and Friends Fund?

On the 23rd August 2013 little Daniel le Roux lost his lengthy and courageous battle with Leigh Syndrome, exactly one week after another little warrior, Mariele Laurie, succumbed to complications of the syndrome she suffered from, Aicardi-Goutieres Syndrome. Professor Pieter Fourie, whose care of and love for Daniel and Mariele had gone over and beyond anything which might be considered fair professional expectation, was determined not to allow the heartache and devastation caused by such tragedy to go without lending itself to a higher purpose...and so shortly after Mariele and Daniel had earned their angel wings, Professor Fourie shared with Kate and Lianie, their mothers, his vision for an organisation which would provide much-needed support for other parents who might be on a similar journey. Just a few short months later, the Daniel and Friends Fund was born guided by, by this time, three special needs mothers, each symbolic of the three friends who had helped Daniel in the Biblical passage from which Professor Fourie had drawn his inspiration.

Since their launch in February 2014, the Daniel and Friends Fund (a registered non-profit organisation) and the dedicated and driven people behind it, have provided not only the emotional and psychological support often sought by parents of children with special needs, but have also committed to ensuring that these parents have had access to the necessary knowledge and training in order to equip them to care for their children in the best possible way that they can. While largely focusing on top priority issues like providing extremely affordable CPR courses, free therapy sessions, psychology-based programs for the parents, occasional donations of items/equipment necessary for caring for a child with special needs...the importance of also creating a fundamental base from which friendships and 'normalcy' can stem has not gone overlooked. To this end, the Daniel and Friends Fund mommies are often treated on special days like Mother's Day and Women's Day and, where possible, these invitations are extended to the entire family for celebrations such as Mandela Day, Christmas Day, etc.

The purpose of our blog is not only to provide the opportunity for sponsors, supporters and followers to stay in touch with the various projects and events we're busy with but also, and just as importantly, to provide an insight for others into what life entails for families on a special needs journey, as well as enlightening fellow parents to the fact that this journey need not be travelled alone...

Saturday, August 20, 2016

Mandela Day 2016

Mandela Day is one of our favourite celebrations as the sentiment behind this widely-acknowledged day of recognition is something we at Daniel and Friends Fund apply to each and every day :

"...each individual has the ability and the responsibility to change the world for the better. If each one of us heeded the call to simply do good every day, we would be living Nelson Mandela’s legacy and helping to build a country of our dreams. "

With Mandela Day falling on a Monday this year, we celebrated with our families on Sunday, 17th July at Bugz Play Park the staff of which went out of their way to make sure that our children were comfortable and that the only things we needed to attend to was having a good time.

After what is most kids' favourite lunchtime meal (hotdogs

of course) it was time to go enjoy the various activities

at the park. The foofy-slide proved a hit as each slide

brought with it squeals of excitement, whether you were

actually on the slide or simply running alongside.

The charming red train which chugs along the perimeter of

the park was, without doubt, a favourite amongst the kids

and...well...some of the adults too. Here Justine Quinn

enjoys a ride with her daughter, Isabella.

A colouring-in competition also formed part of the

day's activities and beautiful Layla Loos proudly

submitted her picture. With so much effort and pride

put into each picture, picking just one winner would

have been impossible. Luckily we just happened to

have a prize for each and every child.

Saskia Cloete had a ball having her older brother,

Pierre, over for tea in a life-size doll house.

Having Minki Burger, one of our ambassadors,

share yet another function with us meant the

world to both us and our families.

With the planning and effort which we know goes

into, what is for others, just a "casual day out",

we wish to thank each and every family who joined

us at Bugz, as well as the staff at Bugz Play Park for

making this yet another fantastic Mandela Day celebration.

Daniel and Friends Fund